As Alucard, players must discover his secrets, unearth the true extent of his involvement in Dracula’s story and set in motion the events of Lords of Shadow 2.

The DLC expands the story of the recently-released sequel, and Alucard has his own unique abilities, including use of the Glaciem and Igneas powers. He also uses vampiric abilities allowing him to turn into a wolf, a swarm of bats and turn back time.

The interview was conducted before members of the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 team spoke out to condemn Alvarez for entering the project into a period of development hell. They claimed he views himself as a visionary who denies his staff access to the studio’s engine and more. The claims, however, are yet to be confirmed or denied by Konami itself, so make of them what you will.

When asked if Edge’s score perhaps swayed the opinions of other critics when writing their own reviews, Alvarez replied, “This is another important issue. There are a few media outlets that set trends and then some other that follow them don’t dare to deviate too much. The first LoS, which has an 85 mark in Metacritic, also got bad scores on some major sites, yet the game ended having a very good one.

“It’s true that Edge liked the first game but they didn’t enjoy this one as much. I also think that what happened is terribly unfair. One must be blind or stupid to give a 4/10 mark to a game with whis quality. With a 4/10 people think it’s a crappy game, badly done, one that’s broken with gameplay mechanics that don’t work and awful graphics. If I were a reviewer I’d know this, and I don’t think that LoS2 deserves the score of a crappy game.”

On how the press received the game in general, Alvarez explained, “I tend to think positive after reading some things. I’m glad that some people are writing about games instead of making them. I have to take it well, otherwise I’d do something else. But there are also people that appreciated the game. Any game is a complex work, and sometimes I think there’s a lack of professionalism in the game press, who should judge things for what they are and not what they want them to be.

“I agree that, in the end, it’s an opinion, and an opinion is totally respectable, but let’s not confuse an opinion and a review. The review is about the object and the opinion is about the subject. You can say “I do really rock but I hate opera”, and this is an opinion, not a review. If I had to review “Don Giovanni” I wouldn’t even know how to start, and this honestly is something the gaming press lacks. A lot of people who review games do not live up to the game they’re reviewing.

“This is a problem because it influences people’s buying decisions, and they also influence the opportunities of the developers, because we live in a world that simplifies information and classifies developers according to their Metacritic scores. Do not misunderstand me, though: there are very good people writing about games, whatever their opinion is.

“I’m talking about very good people that, for example, destroyed the first LoS. This is not about being right or wrong, it’s about talking about what you have to talk. When you say in a review that textures or the engine are not the best, or that the gameplay is not up to it, you have to know it right. You can’t just say “I did not like it, and as I don’t like it it’s bad”, because that’s incredibly arrogant.”

Alavarez commented on why critics liked the first game, but not Mirror of Fate or Lords of Shadow 2. He suggested that just because members of the press and gamers perhaps disliked the first game that all subsequent impressions were, “tinged with hatred and resentment.”

What’s your view? Let us know below.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/03/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-studio-boss-one-must-be-blind-or-stupid-to-give-it-a-410/feed/29Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 ‘Revelations’ DLC may introduce playable Alucard – spoilershttp://www.vg247.com/2014/03/03/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-revelations-dlc-may-introduce-playable-alucard-spoilers/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/03/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-revelations-dlc-may-introduce-playable-alucard-spoilers/#commentsMon, 03 Mar 2014 09:31:24 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=452993Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2’s first DLC pack will be entitled Revelations, and according to one data-miner, could see players controlling Dracula’s son Alucard.

It follows several damning comments from Mercury Steam staff, who claim Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 development was dogged by internal issues. Check it out, it’s pretty insightful stuff.

Now; CS.RIN.RU forum member UbiSerge has posted excerpts of the game’s text files, including this Revelations DLC synopsis:

Play as Alucard and reveal a whole new aspect of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Uncover new plotlines and discover the true extent of Alucard’s involvement!

Play as Alucard in this extensive add on for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. The immersive story is expanded further as new branches of the plot are uncovered, along with rich new environments and challenging puzzles. Fight creatures of darkness and discover the true extent of Alucard’s involvement in Dracula’s story, his deal with death and his fight against Satan. Experience a whole new aspect of the thrilling conclusion to the ‘Lords of Shadow’ saga, including some enlightening revelations!

There’s no telling if this on the money yet, but we’ve contacted Konami for comment. What do you think?

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/03/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-revelations-dlc-may-introduce-playable-alucard-spoilers/feed/1UK game charts: Thief debuts in first, Plants vs Zombies in at four – full charthttp://www.vg247.com/2014/03/03/uk-game-charts-thief-debuts-at-first-plants-vs-zombies-in-at-four-full-chart/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/03/uk-game-charts-thief-debuts-at-first-plants-vs-zombies-in-at-four-full-chart/#commentsMon, 03 Mar 2014 09:21:56 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=452989Thief has launched into the top of the UK game charts, while fellow newcomer Plents vs Zombies: Garden Warfare enters at fourth.

Speaking with Spanish website Vadejuegos, the developer – who asked not to be named – confirmed most of the original story’s contents, citing leadership and communication problems issues between the game’s leads and core team.

“The problems we’ve been through are basically those in the original post,” said the developer. “There’s plenty of talented devs [in MercurySteam], though they’re not among the [studio] heads. There’s almost no actual lead in here. The only ones who really have something to say are those who have been here since the early days or those who struggle to please Enric [Álvarez, Mercury Steam CEO].”

In light of yesterday’s report, Álvarez took to Twitter to state that it was “sad [to] see people giving credit to the lies and insults from an enraged ex-worker. What a world we live in.”

The source went on to say that all ideas or decisions were monitored by CEO Álvarez, who also had to sign off on all decisions.

“It isn’t easy to be a creative guy in there, because people’s ideas are never really free to exist,” the source continued. “In fact, they expect you to not give any ideas, they do not like people who do so, causing many big names to leave without a second thought.

“Our art director [José Luis Vaello] went to Tequila and now he is making RIME. He left due to the creative situation here. He was being completely held back and couldn’t force any changes, so he was just like: ‘okay, see ya, good luck with your amazing ideas’, and left the team…”

Conflicts between key members of the studio, per the source’s opinion, were the cause of issues inherent in LoS2, with the developer citing the artwork, stealth mechanic and Dracula’s ability to turn into a rat as just a few examples of internal conflict.

“[Vaello] is the guy who made all the main art for the first Lords of Shadow, but LoS2 is a Frankenstein monster due to the lack of a consistent art lead,” the source stated. “After Vaello left we have had several art directors and there was like some sort of power struggle within the studio heads. That’s why some sections of the game are gorgeous and the newer are not.

“This Castlevania is a weird experience because everybody has been doing their own stuff without a proper lead. Each department has been minding their own businesses without any kind of communication between teams. They deal with people like… they don’t trust you. It’s a very uncomfortable atmosphere, it’s utterly uncreative. They don’t trust anybody.”

The source went on to say that a toxic atmosphere has permeated the studio for over two years, but the developer also insisted that wasn’t always the case: instead, dissidence has been growing slowly inside the studio.

Finally, the developer stated that they were unaware whether or not Konami was unhappy with the final product or not. The original source from yesterday stated that the publisher was displeased with the release of such a “mediocre” title and stated that “expectations” for the studio’s future were “quite bad.”

Vadejuegos’ source said there was no way to know whether or not this was the case, as lack of communication at the studio lead to “there not being any meetings” and to the staff learning about many things “through the news”.

“We can’t know that. Not yet. We don’t know if [our studio’s relationship with Konami] good or bad at this moment,” they said.

In closing the source stated the six month delay of Lords of Shadow 2 forced the studios to self-fund the extra development time, but Vadejuegos’ other development sources have said the delay wasn’t an unusual occurrence in triple-A development – especially for a game of this size.

Update
A second unnamed source credited as a MercuryStream employee has added their voice to the report, responding to demands that the original source be named and describing MercuryStream’s response to the alleged leaks as a “witch hunt”.

“If you knew just a little about how the games industry works (particularly in Spain), you would remain anonymous as well. At least, if you ever want to work in the industry again. So I completely understand that as mere employees (should I remind everyone what’s the situation in Spain?) they don’t want to reveal their identity. I can also confirm you that most of what’s been said is exactly how everything works in MS,” the second source said.

“I would like to add that the end product looks spectacular to me, you can feel all the passion and effort that everyone has put into it, however on the management side this development has been a complete mess.

“But you’re not going to find someone who’s willing to tell this publicly or even in a private conversation because, as I said, this is a veeery small industry, and life’s just not that easy. There’s a large witch-hunt at this moment in search for the moles that revealed the situation, and that will only turn in even more firings and being blacklisted not to work in the industry here, well, forever. There has been a large reduction in our workforce lately.

“So please show a little respect for those who are risking their asses for what some of you think is just resentment to our boss.”

You can read the entire report through the link above.

Thanks, Miguel.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/01/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-dev-steps-forward-to-confirm-troubled-development-reports/feed/8Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 dev discusses troubled development, blames director for ‘mediocre’ gamehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/28/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-dev-discusses-troubled-development-blames-director-for-mediocre-game/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/28/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-dev-discusses-troubled-development-blames-director-for-mediocre-game/#commentsFri, 28 Feb 2014 09:56:16 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=452560Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 has received a mixed reaction from the press, prompting a developer of Mercury Steam to come forward and discuss the sequel’s development, and to place the blame with studio director Enric Alvarez, a man he claims is both “mean,” and bearing, “serious problems.”

The insight follows a string of middling Castlevania: lords of Shadow 2 reviews, and comes from the Meristation forums, by way of a user who is known for having direct contact with one Mercury Steam developer. The anonymous employee has expressed his distaste with the game’s development, and with Alvarez himself.

He explained that he experienced a degree of “hell” during Lords of Shadow 2 development, and stressed that Hideo Kojima actually had little to do with the first game. “He came by, set a seal, visited the studio, signed some things and that was it. He had even less to do with Mirror of Fate and LoS2,” they claimed.

“The vast majority of this team is aware that the game we’ve done is a real piece of shit that has nothing to do with the first one’s quality and production values,” he went on. “Nobody is surprised by the low reviews we’ve got.

“If there’s someone to blame here, that’s Enric Álvarez. He is the person who has led a broken development based on his personal criteria, completely overlooking programmers, designers and artists. Despite his nice look to the press, often considered as some sort of creative ‘visionary’ in the looks of David Cage and Molyneux, this guy has serious problems. He is a mean and naughty guy, and since the ‘success Lords of Shadows 1’ his ego has grown to the point of not even daring to say ‘hello’ when you meet him in the hallway.

“His distrust to his own workers is enormous. Most of the development team often found out features of the game through press news, rather than from the studio’s head – unbelievable. And there is no corporate culture here at all… this is just a handful of people working blindly and at the disposal of an alleged visionary.”

The employee added that mercury Steam’s internal structure is “archaic,” and that its founders have, “zero abilities for running a studio.” He also called the game’s art direction, “erratic and beheaded.” Quite damningly, he claimed that Mercury Steam’s “QA department is treated like cattle, with shameful wages and almost everyday bullying.”

He explained, “The studio’s signature engine (one with many flaws) was solely coded by two guys, one of them being a founder of the company and Enric’s confident. Access for the new programmers to the source code to update or refurbish the engine is denied, so things are still done in a 10-year-old fashion.”

“Often here newbie developers know more than their own bosses,” he stressed. “This structure only leads to a slow, messy and absurd development process, with the end result of Lords of Shadows 2 being a perfect example of what happens due to that.

“Absolutely every design idea has to be monitored, taken away and mutilated by Enric Álvarez. Several game designers have grown tired of this and have abandoned the studio.”

He revealed that since work on Lords of Shadow 2 wrapped, Mercury Steam, laid off 35 employees, and that more firings are expected. It is now feared that the studio’s future hangs in the balance as Konami is upset with the “mediocre,” game. “Expectations for our future are quite bad,” he said.

In closing the developer said, “And finally, because not everything is bad in here, I wanted to say that the real team behind this company is an incredible bunch of people. If all those guys who are not allowed to be promoted due to our Jurassic studio leads had the chance to set the course of the company, our future would be so bright.

“There’s just so much passion and talent here, more than I’ve ever seen anywhere else, but it’s completely held back. I really hope that those who read this understand what we’ve lived here. Someone has to say this so it is not lost in time after the game’s launch.”

What do you make of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, and the claims above?

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/28/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-dev-discusses-troubled-development-blames-director-for-mediocre-game/feed/21Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 video shows off the mastery systemhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/27/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-video-shows-off-the-mastery-system/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/27/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-video-shows-off-the-mastery-system/#respondThu, 27 Feb 2014 15:25:55 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=452202Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 has a new video available showing off the mastery system. It allows the player to dish out destruction through possession and animal transformation.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/27/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-video-shows-off-the-mastery-system/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 complete walkthrough & boss guidehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/26/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-complete-walkthrough-boss-guide/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/26/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-complete-walkthrough-boss-guide/#respondWed, 26 Feb 2014 17:38:34 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451889Help Dracula save the world from Satan, and protect himself from his own family.

Before we get started, please note that Dracula can use the Shadow Whip to destroy many objects in the world. Destroying these objects earn experience points used to upgrade his weaponry, and may also reveal various items. Always destroy any random objects you come across such as vehicles and containers. Almost anything that stands out from the background can be destroyed.

Unblockable attacks should always be avoided by dodging. They are telegraphed by two glowing red circles around the attacker or weapon. When you see this visual effect, prepare to dodge the coming attack. This goes for normal fights and boss battles.

As you progress through the game, you will come across gates that seem to have items in the rooms beyond. To access these gates, you need the Mist Power ability which is obtained during the Blood Curse mission. There are also areas that may seem just out of reach. These areas can be accessed once you obtain the Demonic Wings during the Hooded Man mission, late in the game.

We’re sure you’re eager to get started, but one last word of advice, you will come across alcoves that ask for a Dungeon Key. These are dropped here and there about halfway through the game, but it’s not until you gain access to the Chupacabras’ Shop during the Three Gorgons mission that you can purchase these at will. Keep track of when you come across these areas so you can go back once you have the necessary abilities.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/26/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-complete-walkthrough-boss-guide/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 video shows off vampiric abilitieshttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-video-shows-off-vampiric-abilities/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-video-shows-off-vampiric-abilities/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 17:11:35 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451473Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is out now in North America, and to celebrate, Konami has released a video showing off the vampiric abilities available to the central Dracula character.

During the course of the game, Dracula “grows in strength and his powers are returned,” which in turn will allow players to ‘Possess’ an enemy, and force them to do your bidding through mind control.

Players can also transform into mist in order to avoid certain attacks, solve puzzles or move freely around the game. There’s even “Demonic Wings” which can be used to access high places, and let’s not forget the ability to morph into animal form or use bats to distract guards and enemies.

Each of these skills are showcased in the new footage below.

Lords of Shadow 2 releases on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Europe on February 28.

After the cut-scene, jump down to the area below and walk forward to see another cut-scene. The following battle features several Dark Monks that come together to form a Dark Apostle. They also summon a few lesser enemies. While the Monks are split, focus on one Monk at a time to decrease their numbers as quickly as possible. When they glow green, dodge to avoid the following unblockable attack. When the Monks come together to form the Dark Apostle, use a Void Projection to take it down and separate the Monks again, then resume your attack of the individual Monks.

Defeat the Monks, then head to the far end of the area. Replenish Dracula’s health using the statue to the right, then access the device in the middle and ask the Lieutenant to assist. After the cut-scene that follows, use the Mirror of Fate again.

This time take the piece in the upper right corner, turn it so the black portion is on the left side, then place it in the upper left corner of the mirror. Take the piece in the upper left corner and turn it so the black portion is on the left side, then place it in the lower left corner of the mirror. Take the piece in the lower right corner and rotate it so the small black portion is on the left side, then place it right above the previous piece. Take the top piece and turn it so that that black portion is in the upper right corner, then place it in the lower right corner of the mirror. Finally, take the last piece and turn it so that the black portion is on the lower right corner, then place it in the only remaining slot on the mirror.

Head through the doorway, across the bridge, and into the throne room to watch another cut-scene. During the cut-scene there are two brief intermissions in which Dracula must relive past battles. These are all in slow motion and only require a few attacks to complete. After the cut-scene you face off in a boss battle against Death.

Boss Battle: Death

The battle with Death starts out fairly straightforward. Attack from maximum Shadow Whip range and when his large scythe starts whirling around, dodge to the left or right multiple times to avoid the coming attack. All of his scythe attacks are linear at maximum scythe range, but he will appear to be using a horizontal attack before finishing with a linear attack, so stay on the move until he stops attacking.

While he will block many of Dracula’s attacks, stay at a distance and use the upgraded Guillotine skill. Death will block the aerial attack, then get hit by the fully charged ground follow-up. You can also hit Death immediately following many of his attacks.

Once enough damage has been dealt, Death summons several Servant Corpses to aid him. If you need to replenish Dracula’s magic, or you need health, use these lesser enemies to do so. The upgraded Sustained Sweep skill works very well to take down these lesser enemies with ease. Once you have replenished Dracula, or if you do not wish to battle these lesser beings, use Chaos Bombs to take down the Servant Corpses perched above the area in a circle. Once they’re defeated, the lesser enemies disappear as well.

During the next phase of the battle, Death adds two new attacks to his arsenal. When you see a green glow, this signals a projectile attack that slowly follows Dracula. Dodge continuously until it dissipates. When Death begins swirling his scythe around, he will perform one of two attacks: either the linear attack from the first phase of the battle, or an extremely wide circular attack that encompasses the entire area.

You can determine which attack it is by watching the scythe while it swirls before the attacks initiate. If the scythe extends high above Death, the linear attack is coming. If the swirls begin to extend to a wider range, the circular attack is coming. If you have trouble figuring out which is coming, jump at the sign of either, then dodge left or right back down to the ground to avoid the linear attack, or use Demonic Wings to avoid the circular attack.

Deal enough damage and Death summons the Servant Corpses again. Once more, if you need to replenish resources do so, otherwise take out the enemies above with Chaos Bombs.

In Death’s final phase, his scythe forms a chain that swirls around him. Use Mist Power to get through the danger and initiate a cut-scene with a quick time event to finish him off.

After the boss battle head down the hallway to find a Memorial and Pile of Sacrifice on the right, and a Dungeon Key slot on the left. Instead of a Kleidos, this Pile of Sacrifice allows Dracula to carry more Dodo Eggs. Continue down the hallway and into the next area where a Rot Mech and two Horned Demons face off.

You need to get to the wall on the far left side where you can climb up to the area above. You can finish off all three enemies, or you can make your escape while the Mech distracts the two Horned Demons. Head back to the room where you accessed the Mirror of Fate. Defeat the enemies that spawn, then climb to the top of the area.

Head through the circular doorway, then go right through the rubble and climb up again. When you reach the top use Demonic Wings to reach the platform above, then use Mist Power to go through the gate. Continue straight ahead and through the next gate (with Mist Power). When you reach the green neon sign, climb up to the platform above, then fly to the left to find another Memorial two platforms over.

Climb up the wall behind the Memorial, and around to the left. Jump onto the steel girders and make your way over to the next platform to find a Pain Box that holds a Void Gem. Head back the way you came, then jump down to the left when you reach the end.

Continue down the path and jump down to the section just above the lowest level (if you go too far down, defeat the enemies then climb up one level). Head to the right and up the ramp. Climb up to the walkway above, then go left and through the gate. Continue along the walkway, use Mist Power when you reach the fan at the end, then climb the ladders to the top.

Head to the end of the walkway on the left, then jump and use Demonic Wings to make your way to the Pain Box below. Open it to obtain another Void Gem. Jump down behind the Pain Box and make your way back to the upper platform you just jumped from. When you reach the platform, head to the immediate right and into the hole in the wall.

Use Mist Power to move up to the floor above, take the ladder up and open the door at the end of the tunnel. Drop down to the area below, then head up the ladder on the other side of the room. Run up the rubble and head through the opening, then defeat the enemies on the other side.

Continue toward the objective marked on the map, defeat the one additional enemy that spawns, then head through the flaming rubble as you make your way up to the next floor. Turn around and use the broken ladder above to climb higher, then head through the doorway and down the hall.

Access the lever to restore power, then head through the door. Make your way across the roof, then drop down the to the street. If you need to replenish any supplies, head to the left and use the wolf to make your way back to the store. Otherwise, turn around once you reach the street and head through the corridor straight ahead and to the left.

Use Mist Power to get through the gate, then approach Alucard on the other side of the area. Climb up the corner of the wall, and make your way to the top. Drop down into the church and head down the hallway where you need to solve the Mirror of Fate puzzle again.

Grab the piece in the lowers left corner, turn it left twice and place it in the upper left corner of the mirror. Take the upper left piece, turn it left twice and place it to the right of the previous piece. Turn the upper right piece to the right three times, and place it to right of the previous piece. Grab the bottom piece, turn it right four times and place it under the previous pieces. Turn the left piece right twice and place it on the bottom right corner of the mirror, then take the last remaining piece, turn right twice and place it on the mirror.

Head through the doorway and up the stairs to initiate a cut-scene. Make your way up the side of the beast while watching out for the black holes that indicate green slim is about to shoot out. When you get high enough, enjoy another cut-scene, then run along the beast’s back to reach the chains at the end. Grab the chains to see another cut-scene. Climb to the left, then up to the beast’s back and take down the enemies that attack as you make your way to the chains on the right. Grab the chains to watch another cut-scene, followed by a boss battle against Satan in control of Alucard’s body.

Boss Battle: Alucard

The battle against the Satan-controlled Alucard is difficult for one main reason, many of his attacks are difficult to see. Attack relentlessly until Alucard flinches. As soon as he moves, dodge to either side. In almost every instance Alucard attacks twice in a row, so you need to dodge enough to either side to evade both attacks. Following each set of attacks, stay close to Alucard and attack with your most powerful attack available. When he disappears, dodge repeatedly until he reappears.

When you have damage Alucard enough, he jumps into the air and begins a barrage of aerial attacks that leave black pools on the ground. Stay on the move and do not touch the black pools to avoid taking damage. When Alucard lands, repeat the same strategy as above. He jumps in the air two more times throughout the battle, but follows the same attack patterns.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-13-discover-the-revelations-behind-satan/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 12 – How to Find The Mirror of Fatehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-12-how-to-find-the-mirror-of-fate/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-12-how-to-find-the-mirror-of-fate/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 16:00:33 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451877Learn how to solve the Mirror of Fate puzzle.

If you have a Dungeon Key, drop down into the hole on the left, defeat the enemy below and use the Dungeon Key and an offering of Dracula’s blood to obtain 2,000 experience points. Otherwise, climb the wall to the right, and make your way to the left until you reach the corridor.

Head down the hallway and drop to the ground below. To the far left is a fallen knight. Examine him to obtain another Soldier’s Diary entry. Head through the doorway at the end of the room, and across the bridge just beyond to initiate another cut-scene.

Exit the elevator and proceed forward into the next area. Go up the stairs and over the rubble, then to the left and down the next set of stairs. Take a right at the end of the hallway and drop down to the area below. Continue through the circular opening, then drop down into the next area.

Access the circle in the middle of the room, then you must solve the Mirror of Fate puzzle. Take the piece in the upper right corner and rotate it until the black portion of the piece is on the left side, then move it to the left side of the mirror, near the bottom. Grab the piece in the lower left corner and rotate it until the black portion is in the upper right corner of the piece, then place it to the right of the previously placed piece.

Take the piece in the upper left corner and rotate it until the black side is on the right, then place it above the piece you just set down. Finally, rotate the last piece so that the small black portion is in the upper right corner, then move it into the last remaining spot.

Head through the newly opened door, jump up to the chain above and make your way across the pit. Move the camera around to the side and slightly above Dracula so you can see the flame spouts clearly. The flame spouts spark just before they shoot flame, so keep a close eye on them.

The first flame spout fires on and off at a steady pace. Simply pass by immediately after a burst of flame. The second spout fires off two consecutive bursts before pausing. Wait for the second burst, then cross. The third spout shoots off three consecutive bursts, then pauses before shooting a singular burst. It’s best to wait until the triple burst before crossing. The last spout fires off four consecutive bursts before pausing. Wait until the fourth burst, then move past.

Drop down when you reach the other side, then head toward the next room for a brief cut-scene. The next obstacle requires Dracula to use Shadow Daggers to hit the platforms just ahead of the Lieutenant, while dodging fireballs shot from across the pit. The position of Dracula determines which platforms are extended and where the fireball is aimed.

Stand to the left of the Lieutenant and shoot a dagger at the first platform on the right that pops up. Wait for the fireball, then move to the right to avoid it. When the platform to the left of the Lieutenant appears, shoot it with a dagger. Move to the right, then shoot the platform just ahead of the Lieutenant, then immediately move back to the left side. Once the Lieutenant jumps, move to the right again, then shoot the next platform ahead of the Lieutenant and move back to the left. Shoot the platform on the right to complete the task.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-12-how-to-find-the-mirror-of-fate/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 11 – How to Find The Second Acolytehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-11-how-to-find-the-second-acolyte/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-11-how-to-find-the-second-acolyte/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:55:05 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451869How to get through laser traps and beat the Riders of the Storm.

After the boss battle, head across the plaza and use Dracula’s newly acquired Demonic Wings ability to fly through the hole and over to the other side of the wall. Head to the far left side of the area to find a Pain Box that contains a Life Gem, then access the hatch on the far side.

Head down the narrow corridor, then through the doorway on the right when you reach the first room. Continue down the next corridor, then use Mist Power in the left corner to reach the room above. Use a Bat Swarm to distract one of the guards, then when the second guard offers his assistance, run across to the other side of the room. About halfway across use Mist Power to ensure the guards do not spot Dracula.

Use Mist Power to drop through the grate on the far left. Access the Memorial in the room, then use the darkness behind the point where you fell to change into a rat. Head through the small tunnel filled with experience points, then change back into Dracula when you reach the next room. In the corner is an area where you can use a Dungeon Key to obtain 2,000 experience points.

Collect the experience, then head back to the first room and use Mist Power to ascend back up to the room above. Head to the right corner, hidden behind the divider, but as close to the end of the room where the guard stands in front of the gate. Timing is key here as Mist Power doesn’t last very long, but you need to avoid being spotted. If you use Mist Power too late, one of the guards will spot you. Use it too early and it will run out before you reach the gate. If you run too soon or too late, one of the guards will spot you.

Wait until just before the closest guard is about to move away from you, then use a Bat Swarm to distract the guard standing in front of the gate ahead. Run to the stairs, then immediately switch to Mist Power and float through the guard and the gate behind him.

The next area features one sets of lasers running left to right, and one set of lasers running from the back of the room toward Dracula’s starting position. The lasers running toward Dracula have a pattern of two double stack lasers, followed by one single stack lasers, while all of the lasers running left to right are single stack. Dracula can use Demonic Wings to fly over all of the lasers with proper timing. However, if he grazes a laser, he loses health and returns to the starting position.

In addition, if you stand on one of the tiles for too long, it has the same effect as grazing a laser. When Dracula stands on a tile, a circle begins to form. When the circle is complete, it triggers the alarm and sends Dracula back to the starting position with a loss of health. The objective is to reach a tile at the back of the room on the left side. Once there, use Mist Power to float to the floor above.

Wait until the left to right laser passes, then move toward the back of the room. Jump, then use Demonic Wings to avoid the lasers as you make your way across the room to the objective tile. In order to avoid the double stack lasers, jump a little early, then use Demonic Wings to lift Dracula over the laser.

When you reach the floor above, replenish Dracula’s magic and health, then head into the elevator on the right. Exit the elevator and walk straight ahead to initiate a cut-scene. Ignore Trevor for now, because following him leads Dracula out to a platform with three large demons. However, nothing can be done with the demons at the moment. During the cut-scene interlude, walk down the hallway where Trevor was standing. The demon, Nergal Meslamstea, follows Dracula, but you must stay ahead of him to survive until the next cut-scene begins, which is followed by a boss battle against the Riders of the Storm.

Boss Battle: Riders of the Storm

All three Riders of the Storm share a single health bar, and die in a specific order, so it does not matter which one you attack. While all three are alive, focus on whichever one is closest to you, and try to stay away from the other two while keeping the camera positioned so you can see all of them. They all have moderately long-range attacks, however you have plenty of time to evade them with a jump or dodge to either side.

Watch out for the tornado attack the one with the lance uses. The normal version of it is easily evaded by continuously dodging to the left or right until it dissipates. The projectile version, which leaves the Rider stationary, spinning his lance, is avoided by dodging to the left or right, but toward the Rider, then moving around behind him.

When the first Rider dies, it leaves the one holding the lance and the one holding the giant log. Focus on the lancer at this point, but be careful of his lightning-based attacks. At close range, he uses a horizontal sweeping attack that can be evaded by jumping. However, it’s fairly quick and can be difficult to see coming. From maximum Shadow Whip range, you can avoid this attack, but must watch out for his vertical attacks, which are much easier to see coming and can be evaded by dodging left or right.

If he charges his lightning, dodge toward him to avoid the lightning tornado that follows. This can be difficult to avoid if you don’t dodge toward the Rider, then continuously dodge to the left or right until it’s gone. Just dodging left or right without the initial forward dodge to get closer to the Rider makes it far more difficult to avoid.

During this phase of the battle, keep an eye on the log-wielding Rider. If he slams the log into the ground, be ready to jump to avoid the shockwave attack that follows. If you are stuck fighting him, the upgraded Guillotine works extremely well. This Rider blocks attacks for a short period, however with the upgraded Guillotine, even if he blocks the aerial attack, hold the attack button to charge the follow-up attack. By the time the attack is fully charged (inflicting maximum damage), the Rider is no longer blocking.

Once enough damage has been inflicted, the lance-wielding Rider dies, leaving only the log-wielding Rider. At close-range he uses horizontal sweeping attacks that are unblockable. However, at maximum Shadow Whip range, he only uses one of two attacks. If he swings the log around, prepare to dodge to the left or right to avoid the following linear lightning attack. Due to the height of the attack, it is difficult to jump over it, so dodging is your best option. If he simply slams the log into the ground, jump over the shockwave that follows.

Deal enough damage and he surrounds himself with a tornado and Dracula is no longer able to attack. Walk toward the Rider and dodge to the left or right if you see him flinch. This indicates a linear lightning attack is coming. Get close enough to the Rider and a cut-scene begins. When Nergal Meslamstea proclaims he will not fail, complete the quick time event that follows to finish the boss battle.

Take out the enemies in the parking garage, then use Mist Power to move through the gate on the far side. Use a Dungeon Key in the hole at the end of the room, then offer Dracula’s blood to obtain 2,000 experience points. Leave the hole and head right, through the gate. On the far left side of the garage is a Pain Box that holds a Chaos Gem.

Go back to the first garage and head to the far end where there’s another gate. Use Mist Power to get through, then access the Memorial on the left. Head back and into the opening on the right, progressing toward the objective. Use the elevator, then defeat the enemies when you exit.

Head up the stairs and over the debris, then to the right and through the gate. Go through the small opening in the wall on the right to find a Pain Box that contains Chaos Gem. Head back through the opening and continue to the right.

When you reach the end, drop down and take out the enemies that await. When the enemies down, climb up to the section just above and head to the far left to reach the walkway above. On the right is a Pain Box that contains a Life Gem. Collect it, then head through the gate on the opposite end, and continue down the walkway.

Use Mist Power at the vent, then use the ladders to reach the area above. Take out the Riot Police, then make note of the metal walkway. There’s a Pain Box across the way, but you do not yet have the ability to access it. Instead, head through the opening in the corner and use Mist Power to float up to the top. Climb the ladder and open the door at the end of the corridor.

Jump down, then climb the ladder ahead. Ignore the opening to the left as it only leads back where you were just a moment ago. At the top, head through the opening in the wall to initiate another cut-scene, followed by a battle against several Riot Police and a Riot Mech. Switch the Chaos Claws and use Chaos Bombs to remove the Riot Mech’s main armor. When it fires missiles, they take a good 10 seconds before they drop down, so stay on the move until they do. Constant dodging makes it easy to avoid the missiles. Focus on the Mech first, but if the Police become too annoying, take them out, then destroy the Mech.

Head through the opening on the far side and up the debris. Turn around and use the broken ladder to reach the level above. Head through the doorway and access the lever on the right to restore power. Go through the doorway at the end, then head to the right and squeeze between the disheveled sign. Access the Memorial to the right, then head down the road to initiate another cut-scene.

Take out the zombies, then head toward the objective marked on the map. If you need to replenish Dracula’s magic, head back to the ground below the roof you jumped from, then head to the right and use Mist Power to get through the gate at the end to replenish Dracula’s magic. Head back down the street and into the alley on the right. Take out the enemy in the next area, then use Mist Power to pass through the gate at the end. To the right is another Memorial. Continue past it and to the right to reach the main street again.

Head down the street and continue straight at the intersection to find a Pain Box at the end which holds a Chaos Gem. Turn around and head right at the intersection. Access the hatch at the end of the street on the right, then follow the corridor around and access the lever to restore power.

Continue through the hatch, around the corner, and up through the next hatch. Take out the bad guys hang out on the street, then switch to the Chaos Claws and target the ladder above and to the left. If you need to replenish Dracula’s Chaos Magic, head to the right to find a crack in the wall. Just beyond the crack is an area where you can replenish magic.

Head out of the crack and to the right to engage a few more enemies. If you continue down the street, there’s a gate to the right which houses a statue that allows Dracula to replenish his health. At the end of the street on the left is another Memorial.

With all of the secrets collected, head back to the ladder. Climb up and around using the fire escape. When you get inside, drop down to the ground floor, take out the enemies and access the Memorial in the corner. Climb back up to the platform and jump across to the hanging metal box.

Jump across to the next hanging box, then to the one on the left, then to the platform just ahead. Jump over to the hanging box on the left, then over to the platform and use the ladder to the left to reach the next platform above. Jump across to the hanging box, then to one on the right, then to the platform below to the left.

Leap over to the broken girder just ahead, then make your way to the ladder on the left. Drop down to the platform below and access the Pain Box to obtain another Life Gem. If you do not care about the Life Gem, just climb up the ladder. If you drop down to the platform to access the Pain Box, you’ll have to go through the hanging boxes again to get back to the ladder.

Climb up the ladder and continue up the stairs to the next ladder, then down the walkway and up another ladder to reach the roof. Take out the enemies that attack, then head over to the door on the far right side of the roof. Jump into the elevator shaft on the right. Below, to the left, there’s a small area with a Pain Box that holds another Void Gem. Jump down to access the Pain Box, then drop all the way down to the bottom and use Mist Power to go through the gate. Drop down again and head through the crack in the wall to find another Dungeon Key hole. Insert a Dungeon Key and offer Dracula’s blood to obtain 2,000 experience points.

Head back up and out to the rooftop. To the right is a section of broken railing. Look down to see a Pain Box below. If you jump down to get the Pain Box, you’ll have to go through the hanging boxes to get back to the rooftop. If you choose to do that, jump down to the platform and access the Pain Box to obtain another Chaos Gem.

When you get back to the roof, head to the edge of the metal walkway and use a Chaos Bomb to lower the other side of the walkway and initiate a cut-scene. Defeat the enemies that spawn, then use a Void Projection to freeze the waterfall and climb up and around until you’re inside the building.

Take out the enemies, then make note of the flashing yellow button on the wall. This activates the fan, but you need to restore power before it can be used. Head to the far left and use Mist Power to get through the gate. Switch to the Void Sword and use two Void Projections to freeze the flames ahead. Mist through the gate at the end, then turn the power on via the button on the left.

Head back into the main room and turn on the fan. Ignore the enemies and use Mist Power to reach the next floor up. If you engage the enemies, the power will run out and you’ll have to repeat the process (although the enemies will not spawn the second time).

On the next floor, use a Chaos Bomb on the propane tank to initiate a cut-scene. Head across the rubble and drop down into the room below. If you wish to take a detour to replenish Dracula’s health and acquire the fourth Kleidos, follow the yellow glow to the corner and drop through the crack. Head down the hallway, and through the next crack to find the power switch.

Restore the power, then head outside to replenish Dracula’s health. When you leave the garage area, Riot Police attack. Take them down, but do not bother with the waterfall again. Instead, climb up the electrical equipment opposite the waterfall. Head down the hallway to find another Pile of Sacrifice, which rewards Dracula with another Kleidos.

Climb up the side of the building on the other side of the hall. Head to the far end of the roof and climb up into the rubble above. Go right and drop down the hole into the hallway below. Head down the hall and drop down the hole at the end to reach the room you started in.

Access the lever in the corner to turn on the power, then head up the stairs and into the next room. Drop down to the bottom floor and take out the enemies, then head through the open doors and into the next room to initiate a cut-scene followed by a boss battle against the Abaddon.

Boss Battle: Abaddon

If you have one or two Ensnared Demon relics, this is a fairly simple fight. If not, as long as your Chaos and Void magic are full when the fight begins, this is still very easy. Even if that’s not the case, the Abaddon summons several minions to help during the fight. You can use them to replenish Dracula’s magic.

The Abaddon uses several linear projectile attacks, as well as a stomp that creates a shockwave on the ground that covers a wide radius. It also shoots mucus-like missiles into the air that can be dodged with multiple dodges in rapid succession. Dodging its attacks is fairly easy, and with magic, you can stay at a distance throughout the entire battle.

Use Chaos Bombs and target the glowing green chest area of Abaddon. Two or three full meters worth of Chaos Bombs should be enough to put down the Abaddon. If you switch over to Void Projections, it takes a bit longer because they inflict less damage, but it can still be done. Using this strategy you can ignore the lesser enemies and simply dodge to avoid the Abaddon’s long-range attacks.

If you do not have any magic to work with, stay at maximum Shadow Whip range and attack the same area on its chest. Use the lesser enemies to replenish your magic, then return to the primary strategy.

When the final blow is struck, you must be successful in a brief quick time event to complete the battle. If you fail, you must start over at the point just after the final blow is struck.

With the Abaddon down, head through the doorway. If you jump up the rubble on the right to the hallway above, then head into the doorway on the left at the end of the hall, you will be back in the library. While there’s still an item left to acquire in the library, you do not yet have the skills to reach it.

Instead, head straight and then to the left, through the next room. At the end of the room, there is another Memorial o the left. Grab the Memorial, then turn around and activate the power using the switch on the right. This opens the door on the opposite side.

Head through the door and back out into the open area. Here you are pitted against two Riot Mechs and several Riot Police. Focus on the Police first, then handle the Mechs one at a time. Head to the far end of the street to find a Pain Box. However, as you approach, another Mech spawns. Take it out, then access the Pain Box to obtain a Void Gem.

Go back to the other end of the street to find an area where Dracula can climb on the right side. Climb up, then head to the left and climb again to reach the platform above. Drop down into the area below then climb up to the next platform. Make your way up the wall and into the hold in the window at the top to find another Pain Box that contains a Chaos Gem.

Drop back down and head out to the street again. In the middle of the area is a light post next to a large marble pillar. Climb the pillar and make your way over to the left, following the purple trail. When you reach the balcony run over to the edge and jump to the hanging platform. Swing the platform to the left, then jump over to the building and make your way inside.

Head down the hall and drop to the bottom floor when you reach the stairs. Use Mist Power to go through the gate, then walk forward to initiate another cut-scene followed by a boss battle against The Hooded Man.

Boss Battle: The Hooded Man (Victor Belmont)

At the beginning of the battle, Dracula has no access to his magic power or any relics. An upgraded Guillotine skill works very well during this part of the fight as you can remaining airborne while attacking, then unleash a powerful attack once you’re back on the ground. Use this continuously while dodging the Hooded Man’s unblockable attacks.

Inflict a moderate amount of damage and the floor collapses. In the area below, Dracula now has access to all of his abilities. If you’re good at counterattacks, this fight is much easier. Stay close to the Hooded Man and counterattack every time he uses his normal attacks. If you’re not good at counterattacks, the Sustained Whip works very well in this fight.

If the Hooded Man counters Dracula’s attack, jump and dodge backward immediately to avoid the follow-up attack. When an unblockable attack is about to be used, dodge left or right continuously to avoid multiple projectiles, or his various unblockable lunging attacks. If he jumps into the air, prepare to jump over the shockwave of fire that erupts when he lands.

His most powerful attack in this state is his silver projectile. When he talks about silver piercing Dracula, he’s about to use the attack. The first attack is a long projectile that is difficult to dodge, but can be evaded by jumping. However, if Dracula jumps, the Hooded Man will also jump and use a second projectile in the air. When this happens immediately drop back to the ground to avoid it.

Inflict enough damage and the Hooded Man drops a stone into the ground which causes him to grow to a tremendous size. At this point, completely ignore the Hooded Man unless he gets close to you. If he does, move away as quickly as possible. Your only focus should be to destroy the large stones that circle the area. These stones go down fairly quickly, but there are a good number of them. Keep the camera focused on the Hooded Man so you can move away if he comes toward Dracula. Take down all of the stones, then complete a quick time event to finish the battle and enjoy another cut-scene.

Head up the stairs and around the corner to the right, following Victor. Jump down and restore the power at the access panel ahead. Go through the door and jump over to the ladder on the right. When you reach the top, move to the center of the walkway, then use Mist Power to float to the platform below.

Climb the pillar to the right and make your way to the platform where Victor waits. Activate the elevator ahead, then several enemies attack after a brief cut-scene. Focus on the large Horned Demon and allow Victor and the Lieutenant to take care of the lesser enemies. The Horned Demon is essentially a weaker version of the Abaddon boss. However, Chaos Bombs aren’t nearly as effective against it. Instead, use the Shadow Whip at maximum range, while remaining in the air to avoid its ground-based attacks.

Defeat the enemies to witness a sacrificial cut-scene, followed by a boss battle against Inner Dracula.

Boss Battle: Inner Dracula

The battle against Inner Dracula is more about dodging continuously than anything else. He attacks two to three times in a row with larger vertical and horizontal swings. Most of these are easily dodged to the left or right, with the horizontal swings avoided by fighting at maximum Shadow Whip range, or simply dodging back.

When Inner Dracula uses two normal vertical swings, followed by an unblockable vertical swing, dodge to avoid the attacks, then jump when the unblockable attack hits the ground. It causes a shockwave that cannot be avoided on the ground. A similar shockwave occurs when Inner Dracula sprouts wings and jumps high into the air. When he lands, be prepared to jump to avoid the following shockwave.

Inflict enough damage and a quick time event is initiated which gives Dracula the power of flight. This makes it a little easier to avoid the shockwave attacks, but otherwise the battle strategy remains unchanged. Inflict a bit more damage to finish off this phase of the battle.

At this point, the shell around Inner Dracula is temporarily removed and you must battle what remains. Dodging is key to this portion of the fight. Inner Dracula uses an ability that sucks the life out of Dracula. If you are caught by this projectile, it is difficult to escape before significant damage is inflicted. Stay on the move and use Chaos Bombs to attack the head of Inner Dracula as often as possible. He does not remain in this form long, and when he reverts back to the larger form, that form gets a fresh health bar.

It will take two or three cracks at the true Inner Dracula before you can finish him off. When he reverts back to the larger form, he gains new abilities. If you’re too close he uses a spike technique that hits anything in his immediate area. In addition, he uses up to four attacks in a row now, and when he plants one fist in the ground, a trail of blood follows Dracula. Continuously dodge to avoid this, while attacking Inner Dracula with aerial Shadow Whip techniques. The blood moves moderately slow, so it’s possible to dodge away twice, then have time to hit Inner Dracula a few times before the blood catches up.

As with most boss battles, stay at maximum Shadow Whip range and attempt to fight in the air as often as possible. If you do get close, watch out for Inner Dracula to slam his hands together. This indicates that the close-range spike attack is coming, which is generally followed by a short range projectile vomit attack. Take out the larger form of Inner Dracula to reveal the true form, then use Chaos Bombs until it reverts back. Inner Dracula can only be defeated once the health bar of the true form is depleted.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-10-how-to-defeat-the-hooded-man/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 9 – How to Find the Pieces of a Mirror of Fatehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-9-how-to-find-the-pieces-of-a-mirror-of-fate/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-9-how-to-find-the-pieces-of-a-mirror-of-fate/#commentsTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:45:10 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451858Figure out how to sneak past Agreus, complete the Toy Maker’s play, and defeat them both in battle.

Head up the stairs and into the hallway, then continue through the doorway on the left. Access the device on the left to open the next door, then approach the door to see another cut-scene. Head into the dark room filled with rubble to the right to find a fallen knight. Examine him to obtain another Soldier’s Diary entry.

Move out of the room and head right, down the hall. When the path forks, head to the right. There’s a Pain Box to the left, but it’s inaccessible at the moment. Obtain another Soldier’s Diary entry at the fallen knight to the left, then take out the bad guys just ahead. Continue into the room at the end of the path and access the device to the right to open the door. Head down the path to initiate another cut-scene.

The next section requires you to sneak around without alerting Agreus. If Dracula steps on any of the dead leaves, it will alert Agreus and Dracula will have to start the process over. You can distract Agreus by shooting Shadow Daggers at the bells along the walls. However, if Agreus gets too close to Dracula, he will smell him and it will be difficult to shake him off the scent. There are two areas you cannot reach that house secrets, so keep this in mind once you receive Dracula’s final ability.

Tip: In some instances, when you drop from a structure, if you immediately press the Grab button, Dracula will not make any noise, even with leaves beneath him.

Use a Shadow Dagger on the bell on the far left wall, then wait near the right corner of the structure right in front of you for Agreus to take the bait. As soon as he passes, quickly jump forward and to the right to avoid the leaves, then grab the structure to the right and move around to the right until you reach the far side. If you’re fast enough, you can do this without using a Shadow Dagger at the beginning.

Drop down and follow the open path around to the right. Jump over the leaves then grab the structure and make your way around to the other side where it’s safe to drop down. If Agreus is on to you, shoot another Shadow Dagger at the bell just above the entrance. Head to the right wall and grab the structure to move over the leaves as you make your way to the corner. When you reach the corner, head left until you get to the leaves. Make sure Agreus is not close, then quickly run to the right, ignoring the leaves.

Head to the right and jump on the structure as quickly as possible and make your way around to the opposite side. If you’re fast enough, Agreus will walk away since he won’t be close enough to pick up Dracula’s scent. Facing the entrance, there’s another bell on the far left wall in this section. It’s okay to rustle the leaves here as long as you make it to the open section near the middle before Agreus gets too close.

Circle back around to the other side of the structure, then drop down in the safe area. Jump over to the railing along the structure to the right, and move around to the next safe spot. Head to the corner, then jump across to the other structure. You’ll make some noise so move quickly.

Use the bell on the far left wall to distract him, then you have two options. You can take two attempts to complete your objective, or you can be extremely agile and do it in one take. If you opt for the two attempt method, quickly run to the far corner where the device is located. You’ll rustle the leaves, but as long as Agreus is not too close, you’ll make it to the device and have time to activate it. This opens the gate, which you can then make a run for during your second attempt.

If you opt for only one attempt, you’ll need to use the bells to distract Agreus, access the device, use the bells again, then make it to the open gate. Unfortunately, each bell only works once or twice depending on the frequency between uses. It’s very difficult to make it to the device and the open gate without alerting Agreus, which is why the two attempt method is favored.

Once inside the gate, follow the path to the elevator, then head up. Replenish Dracula’s health and magic on either side of the elevator, then continue down the path. Use a Void Projection to freeze the owl-like creature ahead, then pick up the fragment of the Mirror of Fate left behind. Agreus appears right after as you engage him in a boss battle.

Boss Battle: Agreus

The battle against Agreus is far more straightforward than many of the previous boss battles. Agreus uses two weapons, a long spear, or two scimitars. He changes between the two throughout the battle. When he is using the spear, watch out for his unblockable projectile attack. He throws the spear at Dracula twice in rapid succession. Dodge several times continuously to avoid this attack. If either spear hits, you must complete a quick time event to avoid significant damage.

When Agreus uses the scimitars, he throws the swords in a circular pattern around Dracula, then uses a linear attack immediately after. Stay in the middle during the circular attack. If you dodge, you will most-likely get hit. As soon as the circular attack is complete, dodge to the left or right. If you’re far enough away, you can also dodge back to avoid the second attack.

No matter which weapon Agreus uses, he has an unblockable lunging attack that should be dodged left or right to avoid. He also blocks a good number of Dracula’s attacks. While you can switch to the Chaos Claws to get around the blocking, it’s not necessary. If you stick to the Shadow Whip and stay close to Agreus, dodging backward to avoid his standard close-range blockable and unblockable attacks (used with both weapons), you can capitalize on Agreus’ many openings.

Staying at close range prevents Agreus from using his projectile attacks, which means you only have to deal with the unblockable lunging attack, and his normal melee attacks that alternate between blockable and unblockable. When you see the lunge coming, dodge to the right or left, then dodge again in Agreus’ direction so you remain close. While he is recovering from the lunge attack, he cannot block Dracula’s attacks.

Repeat this process several times, and Agreus won’t last long. In addition, while Agreus blocks two to four of Dracula’s attacks, if you continue attacking, his guard will break and a few hits will land. At this point Agreus dashes away to begin his offense again. Dodge toward him to maintain a close distance and continue the fight until Agreus is down.

At the conclusion of the battle, drop down into the water on the right to find another fallen knight behind the tree. Examine him to obtain a Soldier’s Diary entry, then jump back up to the main area. Head to the left, up the path and back through the hallway. Use the device to open the door, then continue across the bridge to engage several Harpies.

Defeat the Harpies and continue down the path to find two more. Take them out, then head into the castle and toward Trevor to initiate another cut-scene. Head through the doorway to the left and access the lever in the middle of the room. The Toy Maker now tests Dracula’s aim. Hold R2 (PlayStation) or RT (Xbox) to aim at the tapestries. As soon as you see a face pop up, move the reticule over to it and release to shoot a Shadow Dagger. Do this three times to earn experience points.

Head down the hall and through the doorway and defeat the Cleric and his friends. Move over to the pillar near the edge of the cliff and access it. Follow the quick time event to create a bridge that leads to the upper platform. The bridge does not last long so quickly make your way up the bridge to the platform.

Jump down on the other side to find a Pain Box that holds a Life Gem. If you wish to travel back to the City of the Damned, head through the doorway to the right and access the lever in the center of the room. Use Mist Power to move through the gate and enter the City of the Damned. Otherwise, head over to the pillar to extend the bridge again, then head back up to the area above.

Head inside the castle, then up the stairs to the right to find a Pain Box that holds a Chaos Gem. Drop down to the area below and take out the enemies, then examine the fallen knight in the corner to obtain another Soldier’s Diary entry.

Scale the fish head door, but climb to the left instead of straight up. Continue down the hallway to find a Pain Box that holds a Life Gem. Head back to the main room and climb again, only this time climb straight up. Head down the hallway and jump down into the room below.

All of the chairs in the room can be destroyed for experience points and items. Head to the far left to find another pillar similar to the ones that extended the bridge just outside. Access the pillar to reveal an alcove where you can replenish Dracula’s magic. It does not stay open very long, so replenish quickly.

On the opposite side of the room, a lever is found near the stage. However, you need to turn the power on to make the lever work. Jump up to the stage, then climb up to the balcony on the right. Examine the fallen knight for another Soldier’s Diary entry, then head through the opening and drop down into the room below.

Access the Pain Box to obtain another Void Gem, then change into rat form in the darkness just ahead. Head through the vent in the corner, then run around to the vent on the far side of the stage. Use the darkness to the right to change into Dracula again, replenish your magic if need be, then use a Chaos Bomb to ignite the furnace and restore power.

Transform back into rat form, then run up the small ramp in the corner, behind the furnace. When you reach the moving spikes, wait for the first one to move twice in rapid succession before attempting to pass. The second spike moves rapidly multiple times, then takes a brief pause. Get as close as possible, wait for the pause, then quickly move to the other side. The third one is just like the first. It moves once, pauses briefly, then moves twice before pausing again.

When you reach the end, gnaw the rope to the left, which kills one rat, then take the next rat through the opening ahead. You don’t need to worry about the spikes this time, as gnawing the rope stops the spikes. Follow the ventilation system until you reach the stage room again, then head through the vent on the left and transform back into Dracula.

Climb up the wall, then jump down and access the lever on the right. Use the device that appears, then you must place the character and corresponding decoration on stage at the appropriate time. For every correct placement, you earn 500 experience points. Every time you ask to repeat the narrative, 300 experience points are removed from the reward. However, the reward will never go below zero. The correct order is as follows:

At the conclusion of the play, head up to the stage and grab the Toy Maker’s heart from the kid to initiate a cut-scene followed by a boss battle against the Toy Maker.

Boss Battle: Toy Maker

At the beginning of the battle, Dracula must engage the Toy Maker’s puppet. It only has three attacks: a vertical strike, a horizontal strike, and a jumping stomp. It alternates between the vertical and horizontal attacks, with the vertical attack dodged to the left or right, and the horizontal attack dodged by jumping or dodging away from the puppet. If the puppet jumps in the air, jump and dodge away to avoid the small shockwave when it hits the ground.

Defeat the first puppet to engage the Toy Maker himself. He attacks with two back to back fists to the ground, which each create a small shockwave. This can be evaded by keeping your distance, or jumping. As soon as you see the visual indicator of an unblockable attack, dodge away from the Toy Maker quickly. The following attack is very difficult to evade if Dracula is anywhere near the Toy Maker, and if caught, it triggers a quick time event that will inflict significant damage if failed.

Use primarily aerial attacks at maximum Shadow Whip range to temporarily defeat the Toy Maker and spawn his next puppet. The snake uses four attacks: fire breath, deadly spinners, a tail spin, and a shockwave. Listen to the Toy Maker’s narration for clues as to which attack is about to occur. Stay in the air and at maximum Shadow Whip range. If the snake breathes fire, back away and jump over the fire if it gets close to Dracula. When the spinners come, stay in the air to evade them. If the snake jumps into the air, prepare to jump to avoid the shockwave when it lands, and dodge away from the snake if it starts to spin, indicating the tail spin attack is coming.

Defeat the second puppet to engage the Toy Maker again. The second time around is identical to the first, except that he now ignites circles of flame between attacks. Stay in the air in the middle of the flame circles, and wait until they’ve stopped moving before dodging away while airborne. If you move too soon, the circles follow Dracula, making it difficult to land safely.

Once enough damage has been inflicted, the Toy Maker stands up on two legs and uses fast, linear attacks. Switch to the Void Sword or Chaos Claws and use a Void Projectile or Chaos Bomb respectively to knock the Toy Maker down. Once down, attack with Dracula’s strongest available skill to inflict as much damage as possible while it’s down. When it stands back up, immediately use another projectile to bring it back down. Repeat this process until the Toy Maker is defeated.

Head back to Trevor, taking out the Cleric and his crew along the way. When you approach Trevor, another cut-scene begins.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-9-how-to-find-the-pieces-of-a-mirror-of-fate/feed/1Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 8 – How to Find the Antidote IIhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-8-how-to-find-the-antidote-ii/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-8-how-to-find-the-antidote-ii/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:40:40 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451852Learn how to defeat Satan’s daughter, Raisa Volkova and get through Overlook Tower.

Head back down the path from which you came. When you reach the interior of the castle, wait for the door ahead to open, then go into the next room to see another cut-scene. After the cinematic, use Mist Power to go through the gate, then again at the end of the room to float up to the level above. Replenish Dracula’s magic, then climb the ladders, move across to the center, and use Mist Power to enter the next room.

Move into the next room and access the Memorial, then use a Void Projection on the sensor the Riot Police dropped. Jump down to the area below and take out the enemies, as well as more Riot Police sensors. Just beyond the sensors, jump on top of the car and climb up the side of the building. Head to the right, then drop down into the next area.

Jump through the crack in the wall on the far right side to find a Pain Box that holds another Chaos Gem. Offer Dracula’s blood in the adjacent room to gain access to another Map Room and teleport back to places with items behind bars if you so choose. Otherwise head into the hallway on the opposite side, then across to the grate and use Mist Power to drop down to the garage below.

Access the lever to restore power, then take the elevator. Use Mist Power to go through the gate on the right and head down the ramp to find a Pain Box that holds another Chaos Gem. Head the other direction and use Mist Power to go through the gate into the room to the left of the stairs. Access the lever in the corner to restore power, then head out of the room and up the stairs.

Head up the stairs and take out the monsters that attack, then head up the stairs in the far corner of the room to find another Pain Box that contains a Life Gem. Head into the gated room at the opposite end to find two more enemies and a Memorial. Circle around to the far side of the room and use Mist Power to get into the elevator. Access the lever to reach the next floor up. If the power is no longer on, near the entrance to the room, use Mist Power to go through the gate and drop down to the power room below and restore power again.

Exit the elevator, take down the enemies and head to the right and around the corner to find a Memorial on the right. Circle back around and use Mist Power to drop through the grate. Scale the wall ahead and work your way around to the other side. Take the elevator at the end of the walkway, the follow the next walkway around to the area where the floor is broken.

Jump over the broken areas to reach the far side, then head down the stairs to find a Pain Box that holds another Life Gem. Head back the way you came and go through the doorway on the right to initiate another cut-scene. Move down the hallway until you see an alcove on the right. Change into a rat within the darkness, then go through the vent on the left.

Head over to the far right side of the room to change back into Dracula, and wait in the corner for another scientist to enter. Quickly sneak up behind the scientist and use Vampiric Possession to take control of his body. Go directly to the door and access the panel to open it. This completes Dracula’s immediate objective and triggers another cut-scene, followed by a boss battle against the full power version of Satan’s daughter, Raisa Volkova.

Boss Battle: Raisa Volkova, Satan’s daughter

Raisa has a wide assortment of attacks. She uses an unblockable charge, several linear ground-based projectile attacks, an unblockable tongue attack, a short range unblockable leaping attack, a tornado attack that travels in a straight line toward Dracula, and a close range circular ground stomp and tail sweep. In addition to all of this, she frequently jumps onto a higher platform and rains down a flurry of projectile attacks.

Stay at the very tip of Shadow Whip range and use aerial attacks until you see Raise move. Do not stay on the ground of you’ll be susceptible to many of her attacks. If she flinches even slightly, dodge to the right or left to avoid the coming attack. At maximum Shadow Whip range, Dracula avoids all of her close-range attacks, and a left or right dodge evades her linear attacks. If you see an unblockable attack coming that doesn’t involve whipping her tongue around, dodge back to avoid it.

When she takes to the high ground, continuously dodge in rapid succession in a circular pattern to avoid the barrage of projectile attacks, as well as the stomp attack when Raisa heads back to ground level to continue attacking. Stay on the far side of the area, away from where Raisa is perched so you have space to dodge and avoid the stomp attack.

With Raisa down, you now find Dracula back at his castle. Turn around and head back into the small room. Use a Chaos Bomb to clear the ice, to you can easily access the door at a later time, then head down the path and continue straight. Jump down to the ledge below and open the Pain Box to the right to obtain another Life Gem.

Climb back up the path, then take an immediate right and jump down to the next platform. Head across the broken bridge, then to the right onto the wooden platform. Climb up the wooden structure until you reach the center. If you have a Dungeon Key, instead of continuing to the right, climb up and maneuver into the small corridor at the top. Use a Dungeon Key at the end of the corridor.

Head back down to the wooden structure and continue making your way to the wooden platform on the far right. Jump across the gap, then climb up the tower to the right to initiate a cut-scene. At the conclusion of the cinematic, Dracula faces off against several normal enemies and a Heavy Brotherhood Warrior. Take out the small fries first, then switch to the Chaos Claws to remove the Heavy Warrior’s outer armor. Watch out for his unblockable attacks and short-range circular stomp attack. With the outer armor gone, he becomes a normal enemy.

Once all of the lesser enemies have been dealt with, the Brotherhood Cleric attacks and summons several more lesser knights. If you have solid melee skills, ignore the minions and focus on the Cleric. If not, take out all of the lesser enemies, then assault the Cleric once they’re gone. Keep in mind, the Cleric will continue to summon his friends as long as he’s alive, so you must take him down quickly if you choose to kill the lesser enemies first.

Access the device in the corner to clear the path above, then climb the wall to reach higher ground. Do not go up the stairs yet. Instead, follow the path around to the left. There’s a Pain Box across the way, but this is a tricky jump. The easiest way to make it is to jump toward the ledge that sticks out on the left side of the platform, then while in midair, use Mist Power to lengthen Dracula’s jump.

Open the Pain Box to obtain another Chaos Gem, then jump down to the ledge just below where another Pain Box awaits. Open it to find a Void Gem. If you jump down to the next platform below (to the left), just beyond is a Map Room if you wish to teleport elsewhere. If not, climb back up the tower and drop down onto the platform where you faced the Cleric.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-8-how-to-find-the-antidote-ii/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 6 – How to Pass Next Stop: Castlevaniahttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-6-how-to-pass-next-stop-castlevania/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-6-how-to-pass-next-stop-castlevania/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:30:38 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451841Find out how to get through the train ride alive and find more Kleidos.

Open the gate ahead, then head back through the gate on the other side to find a patch of darkness to the left, just beyond. Change into a rat and head back through the other gate and down the middle of the ramp to the left. Enter the vent and head left to find a patch of darkness to transform back into Dracula and initiate a cut-scene followed by a quick battle against Satan’s Soldier.

Defeat the Soldier for another quick cut-scene, then access the window to the right and quickly to the right, along the outside of the train. Climb back up to the top of the train to get another quick cut-scene, followed by what appears to be another fight against Satan’s Soldier. However, do not engage Satan’s Soldier. Instead, run past him and use a Bat Swarm to distract the guard at the end. This causes another cut-scene and leaves Dracula hanging along the outside of the train again.

Quickly make your way to the ladder on the right, and climb up to the top of the train, then jump over to the car ahead. You must make it to the top of the next car before it reaches the tunnel just ahead, so do not delay. After another quick cut-scene, quickly access the ladder on the left to move back down to the side of the train before Dracula gets wiped out by the structure ahead.

At this point you must get inside the train before a side structure approaches. There are four overhead structures before the first side structure, so you have plenty of time to climb down the ladder and move toward the back of the train until you can climb inside.

Once inside, wait until the guard approaches, then starts to walk in the other direction. Sneak up behind him and use Vampiric Possession to take control of his body and open the door at the end. It’s once again time to have a little spat with Satan’s Soldier. Engage it in combat for a very short time, then run toward the train car as soon as the guard appears.

Climb along the outside of the train, moving toward the front of the car. When you reach the ladder, climb to the top. At this point you must move left or right to avoid the overhead lights that pass. In every set of lights there’s a dark spot which represents a gap. Line up Dracula with the dark spot to avoid taking any damage.

After a short cut-scene, run up and try to attack Satan’s Soldier. Follow the on-screen quick time event to defeat the soldier and witness another cut-scene. Head down the platform and follow Zobek’s Lieutenant up the side of the wall into the opening above. Jump down to the area below and access the lever to turn on the power and open the door to the right.

Head through the open door, then drop down into the room below and clear the monsters. Access the switch in the corner to turn off the electricity and have the Lieutenant hold the switch for Dracula. Head through the doorway and access the glowing yellow cable on the wall ahead. Follow the quick time event to break the cables so the Lieutenant can join you. If you have an extra Dungeon Key, head to the left, then around the corner to the right. Drop down to find an alcove to the immediate right where you can insert a Dungeon Key.

Go back to where the wires were and head in the opposite direction and drop down to engage the monster below. When you defeat the big monster, it explodes with a shock wave, so stand clear when it begins to show signs of blowing up.

Climb up the side of the room where the bats are swarming and ask the Lieutenant to grab your hand to make it up the wall and open the gate. Head through the open gate and to the right, then climb up the column in the middle of the room to reach the steel girders above. Make your way around to the Pile of Sacrifice in the corner to obtain another Kleidos, then climb back up the wall ladder make your way around to the left, then up and over to the corner where a Pain Box awaits. Open it to obtain another Chaos Gem, then head back to the edge, near the girder, and jump down to the Pain Box below to obtain a second Chaos Gem.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-6-how-to-pass-next-stop-castlevania/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 5 – How to Navigate Downtownhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-5-how-to-navigate-downtown/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-5-how-to-navigate-downtown/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:25:39 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451835Find more Kleidos items, learn how to defeat the Riot Police, and use bat swarms to distract the guards.

Summon the wolf, then head to the left and follow it into the darkness to reach the Downtown area. Replenish your magic, then head forward into the parking garage. There are several random items that can be destroyed here to earn a bit of experience. If you’re lacking in experience points, destroy all of the random objects, then head into the elevator door on the left.

Walk out of the elevator to initiate another cut-scene. When it completes head out of the room and to the right. At the end of the hall turn left and activate the elevator. Head out of the elevator and defeat the enemies ahead. Just beyond the initial location of the enemies, use a Chaos Bomb, then a Void Projection to clear away the debris and the initial flames blocking the doorway. Use another Void Projection on the water sprout to the right to clear the remaining flames.

Head through the newly cleared doorway and activate the elevator ahead. Defeat the enemies that appear when you depart the elevator, then head down the stairs and continue forward. There’s a Pain Box behind the structures to the right, but you can’t access it just yet.

Go up the next set of stairs, jump over the debris, and continue forward. Off to the left is a small corridor, but you won’t gain anything from heading there just yet. Jump over the gap in the bridge and take out the enemies beyond. At the end of the road climb up the wall on the right and access the Pain Box at the top to obtain a Chaos Gem.

Drop down and head back in the direction you came to find a burning car on the left just ahead. Jump over the burning car to reach the area just beyond. Transform into a rat in the darkness at the end of the room, then run toward the entrance and into the vent.

In the room at the end of the ventilation duck, head to the corner to transform back into human form. Run up the fallen book shelf and scale the wall to reach the floor above. Go through the opening to the left and drop down to the ground below. Behind the dumpster is another Memorial, grab that then head out of the area.

Take out the enemy and head around the corner to the right to jump down to the area below. Defeat the enemies, then head up the stairs and to the left. Jump over the hole in the ground and defeat the enemies in the far right corner of the next area.

You need to climb up the wall behind the dumpster, but before you can do that, use a Shadow Dagger above the generator to the right. This disables the electricity so Dracula can safely climb the wall. When you reach the next room, head into the door to initiate another cut-scene.

Head through the doorway and to the right, then smash open the door just ahead. Go left and scale the wall to reach the next room, then use the darkness to transform into a rat. Go through the two vents, ignoring the Pain Box for now, then drop down through the floor and head into the room on the far right to transform back into Dracula.

Defeat the enemies in the adjacent room and replenish your Void and Chaos magic in the room on the far side, then head down the stairs and engage the two enemies at the bottom. Use the Chaos Claws to destroy their shields so you can take them out easier.

On one side of the room is a generator, on the other side is a flame trap. Switch to the Void Sword and use Void Projections to douse the flames, then Access the Pain Box beyond the flames to obtain a Void Gem, then turn the wheel near the entry way. Interact with the generator on the other side to restore power, then head through the newly opened doorway.

In the next room, go through the opening straight ahead and scale the wall. When you reach the top, turn around and access the Pain Box at the end of the room to obtain a Chaos Gem. Head into the room on the opposite, then continue to the right. Defeat the enemies that spawn, then head up the stairs. Don’t forget to destroy all of the random furniture and other junk in the area to find items and experience points.

Go up three flights of stairs and jump over the gap to find another Memorial on the left, then head straight and through the doorway to the left. Jump back over the gap and continue straight. You’re now back where you originally entered the building. Head into the hallway on the left, and defeat any enemies that spawn. There’s a Memorial on the far right, and the room on the right contains the Pain Box you passed earlier as a rat. Examine the Pain Box to obtain a Life Gem.

Continue down the hall and into the elevator at the end. Head through the doorway, then jump down onto the roof below. Several enemies attack, and when only one remains a short cut-scene begins, followed by a battle against three Riot Police. They have shielding that must be destroyed with the Chaos Claws when they take a defensive stance, and when they fly into the air, dodge away from them to avoid the coming area attack. Beyond these precautions, this is a standard enemy encounter.

Defeat the Riot Police, then head through the newly formed opening in the wall. Go right and scale the wall at the end. When you reach the top, interact with the Pole of Sacrifice to the right to obtain another Kleidos. Drop back down and head into the hallway at the far end on the right.

Examine the lever to restore power, then head down the stairs. Jump down to the right and take out the Riot Police below. Head down the street, opposite the direction of the main mission, and jump into the alley at the end. Up the stairs to the left is another Memorial.

Go back in the opposite direction and through the hole to the left at the end of the street. You’re now back in the area where you first entered the facility. Head up the ramp, then to the left and activate the hatch. Continue through the tunnel, then drop down into the open area below. To the left is another Memorial, and to the right is a ladder that leads Dracula closer to his objective.

Access the Memorial, take out the Riot Police that attack, then climb the ladder. Replenish Dracula’s magic at the top, then continue through the tunnels until you reach the staircases below. Head up the stairs to the right, then circle around to the right to find a doorway. Don’t forget to destroy all of the random objects for experience points and items.

Use a Chaos Bomb at the end of the hallway on the left, then access the device to open the door ahead. Head through the door and to the right, then jump down to the platform below. Go right and jump down to the next platform below to find a Pain Box that holds another Chaos Gem.

Continue down the hallway, jumping over the broken areas of the path. Engage the enemies along the way, then go either direction at the fork (they both lead the same way). Take a left at the end of the hall to find a Pain Box that holds another Chaos Gem. This should be your fifth Chaos Gem, increasing the total capacity of your Chaos Magic.

Head back the other way and jump across to the large mechanical pillar ahead. Watch out for the electricity and gas that crops up as you climb. Wait for both to go out before you attempt to climb past these areas. If you get hit by either, Dracula falls.

When you reach the top, head around the circular area, then jump across to the walkway. To the left is a set of steel girders that lead to a Map Room you do not have access to yet, but make note of the area for when you may need to teleport back here. Follow the walkway to the end, jumping over the gap, then climb the ladder to the left. Continue climbing up the side of the building, then over to the ladder on the right, and finally up to the next walkway.

At the top several Riot Police and other enemies attack. Take them down as you make your way to the left. Jump across the broken street and take out the remaining Riot Police. Circle around to the other side, replenish Dracula’s magic, then head up the stairs to the right and past the statue at the top to find a Pain Box that holds another Void Gem.

On the other side of the statue is a small platform that Dracula can jump down to. Jump over the railing of the staircase to reach the platform, then continue stair (opposite the stairs) to find a Memorial. Use Chaos Bombs on the door ahead, then continue into the next room.

Access the panel near the entrance to activate the lift, then climb up the ladder to the left after you exit. Wait for a rail car to get close enough, then jump over to it and make your way around to the front or back of the car. Do not jump on top of the car or you will get hit with electricity. Do not stay on the side of the car or you’ll hit the railing.

When the car turns to the right, wait for another car to pass under it, then drop down. Once again, move to the front or back of the car and drop down so Dracula is hanging. After you pass under the first electrical platform, move back up to the top of the car and wait for it to pass the electricity below. Hang from the front of back of the car again, until you see a platform below. Drop down to the platform, then climb up and access the Memorial on the right.

Head through the large doorway and drop down the hatch inside. Move to the end of the hallway and drop down once again, then access the wheel at the end to open the door. Head through the door and drop down again, then hide behind the containers ahead. Wait for the guard to move to the right wall, then use a Bat Swarm to distract him. When the other guard comes over to investigate, run behind him and use Dracula’s Vampiric Possession to take control of him.

Walk over to the switch to the left of the door and access it. Head through the next door when it opens, then use another Bat Swarm to distract the guard ahead. Use the distraction to reach the ladder to the right, then climb up and make your way around the right side to the walkway.

Make your way across the walkway to the right, then wait at the top of the ladder for the guard below to walk all the way over to the gate on the far side before you drop down. Hide behind the large pillar in the middle until the guard moves back around toward the gate on the other side. While he’s walking, run up behind him and use Vampiric Possession to take control of his body. Do not do this when he stops or Dracula will be spotted.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-5-how-to-navigate-downtown/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 4 – Get Through the Three Gorgonshttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-4-get-through-the-three-gorgons/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-4-get-through-the-three-gorgons/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:20:43 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451832Learn how to free the Chupacabras, find the Chupacabras’ Shop, and defeat the Gorgon.

After the boss battle, head down the hall and up the stairs to initiate a short cinematic. Break all the objects as you make your way down the next hall, and interact with the fallen knight to obtain another Soldier’s Diary. Head into the room on the right at the end of the hallway, then access the lever on the door to the left of the room to activate the lift.

Head through the open door for another short cut-scene. To the left, in the lower section, access a Pain Box that holds what should be your fifth Void Gem. This increases Dracula’s Void Magic capacity. Jump back up and head up the stairs directly ahead.

The next battle is against a Dungeon Jailer and several Dungeon Minions. Focus on the Minions first, because you can’t inflict damage to the Jailer at this time. Keep the camera facing the Jailer and watch for his running attack. When he runs, dodge to avoid the attack and follow him as he slams into a wall. At this point, ignore the Minions and focus solely on the Jailer until he frees himself from the wall. Occasionally the Jailer will get tired and put his weapon down, at which point he is also vulnerable to attack. These are the only times you can damage the Jailer with your current set of weapons.

Defeat the Jailer, which in turn takes care of the Minions, and you obtain the Dungeon Key. Head over to the large mechanical object on the side of the room and interact with it to use the Dungeon Key. Interact with it again to turn the wheels in accordance with the quick time event.

Head over to the side of the room with the glowing red object on the ground and interact with it to open the door. Just inside on the right is another fallen knight. Examine him to obtain a Soldier’s Diary entry, then turn around and head to the left to open the next door.

Follow the path to the right. If you need to replenish Void Power you can access a wolf summon by running across the beam to the left of the large pillar. Jump across to the other side, then climb up the rocks and call the wolf from the yellow circle. Climb up the beam ahead and to the left, then make your way to the left where the wolf awaits. There’s an area just above, but it requires another Dungeon Key to unlock the door, so for now continue to the wolf and follow it into the darkness.

If you don’t need to replenish, or when you return, head to the right of the beam you crossed and jump across to the platform. Move out onto the small bit of steel protruding from the edge of the platform and jump across to the chain. There are two chains here that move down as soon as Dracula comes in contact with them. Jump up the first chain to reach the top rivet of the pillar to the left. You may need to jump to the lower rivets if the chain starts moving too fast. Once the chain stops moving, jump back over to it and continue jumping up until you can reach the upper most rivet.

Move over to the left and jump across to the other chain. Jump off the chain when you see the lower pillar to the left, then continue to make your way to the left until you reach the rocky platform. Move across the platform to the small steel beam that protrudes toward the pipes shooting lava upward.

You need to jump across to the pipes, but you must time your jump accordingly to avoid the lava that shoots upward. Wait until you see three lava shots in a row, then jump to the closest pipe. Continue jumping from pipe to pipe until you reach the next rocky platform to the right. Move forward to initiate another cut-scene.

Head down the hallway until you reach the end. Move to the left to see another Pain Box on the next ledge over. Jump over to the ledge, being careful not to fall down to the area below. Access the Pain Box to obtain another Life Gem, then drop down and take out the Minions that attack. If the Minions use a defensive stance to block your attacks, target a different Minion until it resumes a normal fighting stance. The Sustained Whip attack series works well against these enemies.

Climb up the wall on the opposite side and move down the hallway. Interact with the fallen knight on the left to obtain another Soldier’s Diary entry, then access the device at the end. Extend the platform forward three times to lock it into place, then use the platforms to cross over to the next junction point and initiate another cut-scene.

You are now tasked with freeing the Chupacabras. Head down the stairs and access the device at the bottom. Extend the platform forward three times to once again lock it into place. Head across to the next junction point and access the device again. Move the platforms left once, then forward once and run across to the next junction.

Access the device in the wall to the far right to lower the Chupacabras’ cage. Head back across the platforms and use the device to move them forward once, right once, then forward again. Run across the platforms to the next junction point, then use the device to move the platforms left once, then back twice. Access the Pain Box at the next junction to obtain another Void Gem.

Head back to the device and extend the platform to the left three times to move them under the Chupacabras’ cage. Use the device to move the platforms forward twice, then right once. Run across and use the next device to move the cage left once, then back once. This frees the Chupacabras from his cage and completes your objective.

The Chupacabras opens the previously sealed door. Head through the door and offer Dracula’s blood at the end of the platform to create a path. Move forward as the path forms, so you can make it across before the path dissipates. Head up the stairs to the left to initiate a very brief cut-scene that concludes with a quick time event to avoid an attack from a Harpy.

Three Harpies now attack Dracula. They remain aerial at all times, which makes the Aerial Whip and Guillotine skills valuable. In addition, Dracula can use a Void Projection to freeze the Harpies and drop them down to the ground. Avoid the unblockable attacks and focus on one Harpy at a time to take them down with ease. Defeat the Harpies, then climb up the red pillar on the structure in the corner. Examine the fallen knight at the top of the structure to obtain another Soldier’s Diary entry, then proceed across the bridge.

When you reach the end of the bridge, more Harpies attack. Take then down, then head to the opening to the left (from the perspective of standing on the bridge). Jump over to the pillar, then climb around and make your way to the top of the next platform over. Head toward the mechanical gear to the left to spawn two Dungeon Jailers.

These Jailers are a little different from the last ones because they will ignite their weapons in the fire surrounding the platform. While the weapons don’t remain ignited for the entire duration of the fight, while they are lit, watch out for the Jailer’s attacks because they have extended range. They use a circular attack that engulfs the area immediately surrounding them, as well as a linear attack that shoots fire along the ground. The Sustained Whip is a great skill to use against these Jailers to inflict damage quickly and from a distance.

With the Jailers down, pick up the two Dungeon Keys left behind and access the mechanical device in the corner to remove the gate that blocks your path. Head up the stairs and into the next room, then access the alter in the middle to reveal stairs along the outside edge of the room. Take the stairs down and examine the fallen knight at the bottom to receive another Soldier’s Diary entry.

Drop down the opening to the left of the fallen knight, and use a Dungeon Key in the alcove to the right. Offer Dracula’s blood at the newly revealed altar to obtain 2,000 experience points. Head back the way you came and proceed down the hall when you reach the top to initiate another cut-scene, followed by a boss battle against the Gorgon.

Boss Battle: Gorgon

The battle against the Gorgon takes place in an area with the Gorgon’s three heads on one end, and its tentacles spread out along the opposite side. Focus on one head at a time, and attack the heads with the Aerial Whip and Guillotine skills until it slams its hand on the far left or right side of the area. When this happens, quickly move toward the tentacles to avoid the sweeping hand attack that follows.

While you’re attacking the heads, the Gorgon will occasionally slam a quick fist toward Dracula, or spit fire at him. Stay in the air as much as possible to avoid both of these attacks, but if you see them coming, dodge and jump to make sure you stay clear and don’t take any damage.

Once enough damage is inflicted, the dual circle quick time event occurs and the Gorgon slams its fist near the center of the area, where it gets stuck. If you’re successful with the quick time event, Dracula dodges to avoid the initial attack. Switch to the Void Sword and attack the vulnerable spot on top of its fist with a Void Projection. This freezes the Gorgon’s hand and creates armor on her wrist. Switch to the Chaos Claws to destroy the armor, then climb up her arm and around to her face. Avoid her claw attacks as you climb, and use the quick time event to destroy another head.

If you run out of Void Magic, attack the tentacles to replenish it with the blood orbs that appear with each defeated tentacle. While Dracula is attack the tentacles, the Gorgon spits fire at him. A single dodge is enough to avoid the fire, then quickly continue attacking the tentacles until you have replenished Dracula’s Void Magic.

This process repeats until one head is dead. At this point the fight is the same with one addition, the Gorgon starts to use an optical attack that homes in on Dracula. When you see the green circle moving across the ground, quickly dodge to move away. When it locks in, dodge again to avoid it if Dracula is too close.

Once two heads are down, the Gorgon uses a massive flame attack that covers half of the area. It’s telegraphed by the Gorgon standing straight up and shooting fire into the sky. The Gorgon also shoots a massive line of fire toward the area, which can be avoided with a few well-timed dodges. Continue following the Gorgon’s attack patterns until the final quick time event that finishes her off.

After the boss battle, collect the Primordial Chaos Gem, then switch to the Chaos Claws and use a Chaos Bomb on the flaming orb above. Climb up the Gorgan’s arm to reach the hallway above. There’s a small corridor to the left, but at the moment you do not have the abilities to make use of it. Continue down the hallway and into the first opening on the left. To the left is another Pain Box that holds a Chaos Gem.

Head back out to the main hallway and replenish your Void and Chaos magic just ahead. At the end of the hallway, climb up the left side to the area above. Head through the doorway and down the stairs, then interact with the gold statue in the middle to move down to the lower level. Continue down the path and engage the Jailer and Minions at the end.

This time when you fight the Jailer you don’t have to worry about their defensive stance. Simply switch to the Chaos Claws to remove their defensive capabilities, then switch back to the Shadow Whip to continue pummeling them. Watch out for the line of fire that erupts during the battle. It’s easily avoided with a dodge, but it does spread throughout the area.

Defeat the enemies and pick up the Dungeon Key that the Jailer drops, then use it at the altar to open the door to the left. Head through the door and offer Dracula’s blood to extend the walkway. Just like before, do not wait for it to fully extend. Instead, walk across as the platforms move into place to avoid falling into the lava below.

Head into the next room to initiate another cut-scene. Exit the elevator to enter Chupacabras’ Shop. Here you can purchase various items, most of which can be found as you play through the game. Replenish any supplies you may need, and pick up a Dungeon Key or two for use when you need it. You’ll find all that you need as you play through the game, but with a few extra on hand you won’t have to backtrack as much.

The mirror in the corner allows Dracula to use the Kleidos, which he doesn’t yet have. When you attempt to leave, you obtain the Talisman of the Dragon relic, which allows Dracula to turn into a dragon as a powerful attack.

Move into the elevator and interact with the lever. When you exit the elevator head to the right to find another fallen knight. Examine him to earn another Soldier’s Diary entry, then head to the other side of the elevator to find a Pile of Sacrifice. Interact with it to obtain the Kleidos relic required to use the mirror in Chupacabras’ Shop. You still can’t access the challenges offered via the Kleidos with only one in your possession.

To the right is the circle required to summon the wolf, but before you do that, head up the stairs to the right of the circle and enter the room at the top. This is the Map Room, which allows Dracula to travel quickly between destinations. There’s no need to use it yet, but activate it for ease of use later. There are other treasures in this small hub, but nothing that you can acquire with Dracula’s current skill set.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-4-get-through-the-three-gorgons/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 3 – How to Get Through Bernhard’s Winghttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-3-how-to-get-through-bernhards-wing/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-3-how-to-get-through-bernhards-wing/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:15:01 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451827Find the White Wolf Medallion and learn how to defeat Raisa Volkova.

After the boss battle, examine the head (glowing yellow stone on the floor) to obtain the Primordial Void Gem. Head into the room on the side to replenish Dracula’s health and Void power. Head back into the main room and use a Void Projection to freeze the waterfall. Quickly climb up to the top before the water thaws.

Destroy the objects at the end of the hall on the right to reveal a doorway. Approach the relic just ahead to obtain the Tears of a Saint ability. Continue straight, through the small opening in the wall and head down the hallway and through the next small opening. To the right is an alcove that requires a Dungeon Key, which you don’t yet have. To the left there’s another small opening that leads out into the open corridor.

Jump across to the left and make your down the hall using the wooden beams and chandeliers. At the end of the hall is a Pain Box that contains a Void Gem. Head back down the way you can came until you reach the room that housed the relic. This time head right through the opening and into the mist, then down the hall to the left.

Ignore the option to head right and instead make your way to the end of the hall. On the left is an item behind bars that you don’t yet have access to, but on the right is another Pain Box that holds a Void Gem. Head back the way you came and continue down the hallway to the left that you passed previously.

When you reach the open area, head to the waterfalls straight ahead and to the left. Behind the brick pillar is another fallen knight. Examine him to obtain another Soldier’s Diary. Switch to the Void Sword and use Void Projections to freeze the two waterfalls. Freeze the waterfall on the left first, then the one on the right. With both frozen, climb up the one on the left, then swing over to the right frozen waterfall. Climb up to the top, then make your way around to the center structure.

Inside the structure is another Pain Box that holds a Life Gem. This should be your fifth Life Gem, which will increase Dracula’s health capacity. Turn around and jump down to the Pain Box below to obtain a Void Gem. Continue past the Pain Box and remember to smash any objects you see to find experience points, items and relics.

Jump across the gap and head left at the end of the walkway to initiate another cut-scene. Several enemies spawn and attack Dracula and his son Trevor. The enemies attack two at a time, but focus on only one enemy to quickly dwindle their numbers. If an enemy grabs Trevor, quickly attack that enemy to free the boy.

When the enemies have been defeated. Dracula acquires the White Wolf Medallion. Before you head into the glowing yellow circle in the middle of the room, climb the pillar marked by the swarming bats. Head left and jump across the gap. At the end of the walkway is a Pain Box that holds another Void Gem.

Jump down and interact with the glowing yellow circle in the middle of the room. Climb up the pillar again and follow the wolf into and through the darkness. When you emerge, jump down to the area below, replenish your Void Power if needed, then head through the small opening on the side, then drop down to the room below.

Dispatch of the enemy that attacks, smash all of the breakable objects, then head through the door on the right and continue down the hallway. When you reach the end of the hallway, head down the stairs to the left and drop down to the room below. Access the Pain Box in the room at the end to obtain a Life Gem, then climb up and head back the way you came.

When you get back to the room where you were last attacked, head toward the locked doorway on the right. Use a Void Projection to freeze the water to the right, then climb up and make your way left into the next room. On the left wall is a darkness area where Dracula can change into a rat. To the right of that is a fan blowing water upward. Use a Void Projection to freeze the water, then quickly change into a rat and run under the frozen area.

Access the yellow vent to reach the other side, then jump over the flaming sections as you make your way through the ventilation system. Stay out of the electrified water at the next junction point, jump over the flames again, and interact with the yellow vent to reach the other side once again.

In the next room, make a sharp turn to the right to find the area where you can change back into Dracula. Use a Shadow Dagger on the panel above you on the opposite side of the room away from the enemy, then change back into a rat and head through the vent to the left of the boxes just before the enemy.

Make your way through the ventilation system. When you get to the electrical cable, wait for it to pop, then jump over the cable on the right side of the vent. There are two pops, one long electrical pop, then a second, shorter pop after a slight pause. Gnaw the wiring at the end of the vent, then head back into the other room and change into Dracula again.

Use Shadow Bats to distract the guard, then run up behind the technician and possess him. Move to the other side of the door to open it and walk through the doorway to initiate a cut-scene, followed by a boss battle.

Boss Battle: Raisa Volkova

At the beginning of the fight, immediately switch to the Void Sword and prepare to fire a Void Projection. Move the camera in a circle until Raisa appears. As soon as she does, jump into the air, lock on with a Void Projection and fire. She moves very quickly so you can’t delay. Jumping will evade her dash attack, so if you can’t lock on to her in time, you should still be safe.

If you hit her once, she stops dashing and fights normally. Use the Shadow Whip and stay at maximum range. When she uses her unblockable attack, dodge to the side, then around behind her so you can continue attacking while she’s recovering from the unblockable attack. If she grabs Dracula, press the Jump button in sync with the two circles on-screen to escape her grasp before she can inflict any damage.

When she slams her hands into the ground to create lines of electricity, jump away and stay out of the area surrounding Raisa until the electricity dissipates. During this time she may use a singular electrical attack that fires in a straight line on the ground. Be prepared to jump to avoid the attack, then evade in the air to ensure you land in a safe spot.

Once enough damage has been inflicted, she returns to her quick dashing phase that started the fight. Use a Void Projection again to shut this attack down and she returns to her normal attack pattern. This process repeats a total of three times over the course of the fight.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-3-how-to-get-through-bernhards-wing/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 2 – How to Beat the Awakeninghttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-2-how-to-beat-the-awakening/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-2-how-to-beat-the-awakening/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:10:08 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451822Find out how to use bat swarms to distract guards and defeat the Stone Golem in mortal combat.

After a lengthy cinematic, walk forward through the gate, then follow the boy. When an enemy attacks, block its attacks until another cinematic begins. Walk toward the scared family and follow the on-screen prompts to massacre them and watch another cinematic.

Now that you have your powers back, destroy all of the random objects in the immediate area and around the green van ahead to find artwork. Continue up the ramp to the left and destroy the green containers in the corner. Interact with the Memorial on the opposite side to find the City Memorial: Chronicles of the Ancient Light.

Head back around the corner and interact with the garage door to open it. Head up the ramp, then use Shadow Daggers to gain access to the next door. Move over to the shadows and take on rat form as prompted, then run past the guard and into the shadowy area beyond to regain your human form.

Sneak up behind the guard and interact with him to posses his body. Quickly walk to panel to the right of the door and open it. You don’t have much time before the guard’s body is destroyed. Head into the next room and use the lever on the left to open the door ahead.

Use a bat swarm to distract the first guard, then head to the ladder on the left when the other guard moves to investigate. Climb up the ladder, then jump to the rail on the right and into the next room. Proceed to the next ladder, then drop down and head up the stairs to the right. Turn right to go up the next set of stairs, and follow the path until you see another cut-scene. There’s another area above Dracula to the left, but you don’t have the necessary powers to access it at this point.

After the cut-scene, follow the boy again. Interact with the fallen soldier on the right to find the Soldier’s Diary entry, and destroy all of the random artifacts in the hall. Don’t forget to look behind you for random artifacts to destroy. Head down the hall and to the right, and interact with the statue to replenish your health.

Move up the stairs and jump over to the Pain Box to obtain a Life Gem. Continue forward and jump up to the ledge and across the broken stairs to find another Pain Box and a second Life Gem. Drop back down and head slightly up the stairs, then jump up to the wooden scaffold above. Make your way around to the next area to initiate another short cut-scene.

Head back into the hallway to destroy a few random objects and find more collectibles. Follow the path around the other direction and interact with the lever in the room at the end. Use Shadow Daggers to remove the blood clogging the gears, then head through the newly opened door. Jump down to the room below and run across to find another Pain Box and Life Gem.

Go up the stairs and jump up the column to the left to read the upper balcony again. Jump onto the first wooden chandelier, and run back and forth to make it sway. When it comes close to the next chandelier, jump over to it, then do the same to the chandelier on the right.

Jump across to the platform and interact with the Pain Box to obtain a Life Gem. Head back to the chandelier in the middle, then to the one to the right and finally to the next platform. Circle around to the left, and run out onto the wooden beam. Jump over to the structure ahead and make your way to the right.

Climb up to the area above, then head down the decrepit stairs to the left to find another fallen knight. Interact with his body to obtain another Soldier’s Diary entry. Just beyond the knight there’s a column that gains access to an area above. Unfortunately, you don’t yet have the necessary powers to acquire the items in the area, so you’ll have to leave them be for now.

Head back up the stairs and start down the hallway to initiate another cut-scene. Immediately following the cut-scene, you must make a series of quick jump from platform to platform as the hallway crumbles beneath you. This is followed by a boss battle. The order of jumps is as follows:

– Left
– Forward
– Climb Up
– Right
– Wait for the column to fall slightly
– Left
– Left
– Right
– Forward
– Climb Up

Boss Battle: Stone Golem

During the first phase of this boss battle Dracula must attack the creature’s lower section. Destroy the statues in the area to make it easier to evade the boss when it attacks. Stay at the maximum range of the Shadow Whip unless you need to switch to the Void Sword to replenish health. When the Golem stomps the ground, jump over the wave of blood that rushes toward you, then jump again to avoid it a second time as it returns to the Golem. When it rushes toward Dracula, dodge to the left or right to avoid the attack.

Once the boss has been weakened enough, it glows yellow for a short time. Quickly run up to it and interact for a quick cinematic that transitions to the second phase. At this point you must jump and attack the upper body of the boss. Continue to stay at maximum Shadow Whip range and dodge the aforementioned attacks. In addition, the boss uses a stone whip-like attack that must also be dodged. When you see the red circle illuminate on the Golem’s arm, dodge multiple times in rapid succession to evade the attack.

When the boss slams its fist on the ground, a stream of blood homes in on Dracula. Dodge until it gets close, then jump and dodge to avoid this attack. It will also fire a small blue beam from its eyes, but this is easily evaded by a single dodge. When it hits the ground, watch out for the small ice-like area it creates. This area lingers for a few seconds before dissipating.

If you have to get close to the enemy to replenish Dracula’s health with the Void Sword, be very cautious of its close range melee attacks and it’s energy burst, which pushes Dracula away. It’s best to fight at maximum Shadow Whip range, so only fight at close range when you absolutely must use the Void Sword to replenish Dracula’s health.

When you have damaged the boss enough, it glows yellow again. Interact with it at close range to watch a short cut-scene in which Dracula stabs it with the Void Sword. This is followed by a quick time event in which you must rapidly press the button shown on-screen. If you’re too slow or press the wrong button, the boss regains a small amount of health and the fight continues.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-2-how-to-beat-the-awakening/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Walkthrough Part 1 – How to Beat the Castle Siegehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-1-how-to-beat-the-castle-siege/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-1-how-to-beat-the-castle-siege/#respondTue, 25 Feb 2014 15:05:13 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451815Learn how to defeat the Paladin and stop the castle siege.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 opens up with a quick tutorial to show you the controls and how the combat system works. Follow the on-screen commands to execute a jump, direct attack, area attack, move the camera, and move your character.

Soldiers break into the throne room allowing you to practice perfect blocking and counterattacks. Block a soldier’s attack at the last moment, then execute several direct attacks immediately after to complete this portion of the tutorial. Next on the agenda is learning how to dodge, draw blood from a stunned opponent, and use the ever popular Void Sword and Chaos Claws.

At the completion of the tutorial, head to the left side of the big opening in the floor, then jump to climb up the side wall. Make your way up the wall, then jump over to the left side of the room, and use the rings to reach the adjacent wall. Climb back down to the ground then head around the corner to initiate a cinematic.

A brief boss battle occurs after the cinematic, but fear not, this is just a preview of what’s to come. When the enemy charges an attack, be prepared to dodge. Any attack that is not charged before it’s unleashed can be blocked. Start with the whip, but switch to the Void Sword if you need to replenish health.

After a small amount of damage has been inflicted to the boss, the fight transitions to the Siege Titan’s arm and a slew of minions appear. Take them out in standard fashion and jump when prompted. When the arm shifts vertically, wait for the rings to line up, then press the Grip button to remain attached to the arm.

Climb up the arm until the boss begins to attack again. At this point, wait until the boss targets you, then move to another area to avoid the attack. Head to the upper right and left corners of the vertical arm and wait for the boss to attack. Move out of the way so the boss’s attack hits the arm and destroys the rivets in each corner.

Continue to climb up the arm via the center rivets. The boss begins to attack again, but you have another concern now. You must time your upward jumps to avoid the rotating gears of the arm. If you touch any of the gears, you’ll have to start at the last major joint you passed. Follow the rivets to either side as you make your way up to the top of the arm.

The goal at the top of the arm is to use the boss’s attacks to destroy the three gold rivets in front of the lion head. Several soldiers attack at the top of the arm. Take them out but stay close to any one of the gold rivets. As the boss attacks, you need to wait until the target turns solid yellow, then dodge to avoid the attack so it hits the rivet.

With all three rivets destroyed, walk up to the lion head and interact with it to move it out of the way. Jump up and continue forward and up until you reach the large turning gear. Climb on top of the gear, then wait as it moves you down. When you see rivets to the left, jump over to them and make your way around to the other side, then up to the top of the platform.

This area is the same as the platform with the lion head. Quickly take out the guards, then wait by one of three gold rivets. When the boss’s target turns solid yellow, dodge out of the way so his attack hits the rivet. Repeat this process until all three rivets are destroyed, then interact with the gold object to begin the boss battle.

Boss Battle: Paladin

The boss battle against the Paladin follows a simple pattern. The Shadow Whip is your primary weapon in this battle, but switch to the Void Sword if you need to replenish your health. When red circles appear on his weapon, this indicates an unblockable attack that must be dodged. He uses two consecutive unblockable attacks, so dodge away, then back toward the Paladin so you remain close and can begin attacking immediately after you dodge.

When the Paladin distances himself from Dracula, he uses one of two projectile attacks. If he holds his weapon vertically, dodge left or right to avoid the attack. If he holds it horizontally, jump to avoid the attack. If the Paladin aims his weapon upward, dodge to avoid the targets that appear on the ground. Avoid these attacks and the Paladin will fall quickly.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-walkthrough-part-1-how-to-beat-the-castle-siege/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is a game of conflicting dualityhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-is-a-game-of-conflicting-duality/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-is-a-game-of-conflicting-duality/#commentsTue, 25 Feb 2014 08:50:15 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=450605Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 brings Dracula into the modern age, but has Mercury Steam delivered the solid sequel we hoped for? Find out in Dave Cook’s final PS3 verdict.

CLoS 2

Out this week on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
Version tested: PS3

Pros:

– Challenging combat
– Oscar Arajuo’s soundtrack
– Patrick Stewart

Cons:

– Horrendous stealth sections
– Modern day setting is jarring
– Camera can be a problem
– Difficulty spikes galore

The ending of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was one of my defining moments of the last generation. It was an incredibly brave finale that took over 25 years of series lore and spun it entirely off its axis, and I can still recall the feeling of sheer excitement as Gabriel flew threw that cathedral window and into the present day. In an instant the studio had written a big cheque, and none of us were sure if the team could cash it.

I interviewed Konami producer David Cox about the ending back in 2011 for another site, and he told me that Mercury Steam was never guaranteed the chance of a sequel, so it decided to go for something truly mind-bending to go out on. That ending has since become canon, and the studio has been given space to elaborate on its story. While the modern setting is clearly at odds with Castlevania’s medieval backdrops – save for the futuristic Sorrow series – Lords of Shadow 2 isn’t all skyscrapers, cars and technology. Far From it, in fact.

Once you get past the game’s rather epic tutorial – which is essentially the demo released by Konami a few months back – the plot begins in current times with Dracula awakening in the ruins of his castle, which now serve as foundation to a vast British city. He’s old, feeble and still reeling from defeat at the hands of his ancestors in Mirror of Fate. So out into the new age he goes, looking incredibly out of place and bewildered by the tattered empire before him. All he really wants is to die and to be freed from his immortality. His old pal Zobek emerges to cut him a deal: halt Satan’s return and he’ll deliver him to death’s door personally.

Gabriel agrees and sets off to restore his lost power and kill Satan’s four acolytes, who have since become great power-mongers in the business world. The first thing I noticed about the game’s modern day components is just how similar they are to those found in Bayonetta and DmC. The environment is littered with menacing gothic spires, intricate stone archways, peppered with neon signs, parked cars and red phone boxes. You’re in Britain, remember? I like the concept of moving to the present day, but there’s something a little jarring about seeing a shirtless vampire lord whipping beasts on a city high-street. This isn’t ruinous mind you; it just takes a little suspension of disbelief.

It’s not long before you start jumping back between the present and past thanks to a vision of Gabriel’s son Trevor who appears before him as a child. If you prefer your Castlevania games set in the dark ages then you’ll appreciate these moments, which see you fighting a range of nasties in the bowels of Dracula’s castle in search of power-ups and Mirror of Fate shards. The contrast between the castle’s former glory and the metropolis it’s now become is quite stark, and if you’re invested in Gabriel’s sorrow and regret, you’ll likely be taken aback at everything he’s lost. That’s only if you become invested.

And that’s a key point, because Mercury Steam really wants you to feel bad for Gabriel; a man who went on a crusade from god, only to become the antithesis of everything he fought for. He’ll often look mournfully at his crumbled empire, or ruffle Trevor’s hair in a rare display of affection while Oscar Araujo’s genuinely beautiful orchestral score rumbles throughout. You’ll feel for him a little, but then in a heartbeat he’s back to his savage, thoughtless and murderous self, biting the necks of innocent human scientists or thrashing beasts with his whip. He’s a hard character to side with, and maybe that’s intentional, but this could stop you from becoming fully engrossed.

When you’re not watching cut-scenes you’re either climbing around the scenery or battling enemies. Platforming is as you’d expect with plenty of hand-holds and dusty old beams to shimmy along. It’s pretty standard, uninspiring fare that is occasionally let down by the game’s free camera. Your perspective does tend to get tripped up in tight spaces, and this is something I’ll touch on again in combat, but because nearby climbing points are flagged by a screeching swarm of bats, you’ll have little trouble figuring out where you’re supposed to go. There was one quite infuriating puzzle involving chains early on, and a few sections involving swinging cages that felt really clunky, but neither were game-breaking.

Stealth sections do bog the game down significantly, and the first example sees Dracula trying to infiltrate a laboratory protected by hulking demonic guards. Your tool-set allows you disorientate patrolling targets so you can slip by undetected, but while they are screaming and thrashing around, their comrades go about their duties within earshot, entirely oblivious to what’s going on. You can even possess a guard and shuffle your way past locked doors unconvincingly or transform into a pack of rats and scurry through vent shafts without raising alarms. Detection results in near-instant death, making these poorly designed and tiresome sections something of an unfortunate feature.

One stealth encounter in Pan’s garden is hands-down one of the most frustrating sections in a game I’ve played for some time, and it smacks of a poor understanding of the genre. As your enemy tries to track you by smell and sound, you must shimmy along the edge of stone fixtures to avoid standing on dead leaves, while hurling daggers at bells to create distracting sounds. It’s fine on paper, but in practice it’s a nightmare. Your pursuer catches up with you all too fast, and there are sections where you can’t help but trample on the dried-out foliage. I don’t know if this is intentional or simple a mistake of design, but you will die here often and curse the studio for it.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-is-a-game-of-conflicting-duality/feed/20Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 reviews drop, all the scores herehttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-reviews-drop-all-the-scores-here/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/25/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-reviews-drop-all-the-scores-here/#commentsTue, 25 Feb 2014 08:21:23 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=451255Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 reviews have begun, and we’re sucking them dry of their critical blood in another round-up prefaced by a bad joke.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/24/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-launch-trailer-hypes-tomorrows-release/feed/5Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 pushed back one week in Australiahttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/24/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-pushed-back-one-week-in-australia/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/24/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-pushed-back-one-week-in-australia/#commentsMon, 24 Feb 2014 02:26:50 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=450881Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 has been pushed back in Australia, delayed from its original February 28 launch to March 6. Citing a local spokesperson or Konami, CVG reports the setback is due to shipping delays. We’re not sure if the PC version will be available on Steam earlier, since it clearly won’t be affected the way physical goods are; we’ve contacted local distributors for more information. Lords of Shadow 2 is coming to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It arrives in North America on Monday, and in Europe on February 28.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/24/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-pushed-back-one-week-in-australia/feed/3Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 PSN pre-orders come with Mirror of Fate HDhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/18/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-psn-pre-orders-come-with-mirror-of-fate-hd/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/18/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-psn-pre-orders-come-with-mirror-of-fate-hd/#respondTue, 18 Feb 2014 23:34:10 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=449655Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 can be pre-ordered from the PlayStation Network for PS3, and doing so will score you a couple of bonuses.

Polygon reports Lords of Shadow 2 pre-orders come with a copy of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate HD, the console remake of the 3DS tie-in which arrived in october 2013.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/18/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-psn-pre-orders-come-with-mirror-of-fate-hd/feed/0Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 video shows how to use the Chaos Clawshttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-shows-how-to-use-the-chaos-claws/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-shows-how-to-use-the-chaos-claws/#commentsThu, 13 Feb 2014 14:18:29 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=448285Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 has a new video showing off the Chaos Claws weapon. It’s below. Don’t forget, there’s a demo available for the game on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 releases on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 25 in North America and on February 28 in Europe.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-shows-how-to-use-the-chaos-claws/feed/7Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 demo out now on PC, PS3 & Xbox 360http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/12/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-demo-out-now-on-pc-ps3-xbox-360/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/12/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-demo-out-now-on-pc-ps3-xbox-360/#commentsWed, 12 Feb 2014 10:13:04 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=447638Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 has received the demo treatment on Steam, PSN and Xbox Live. It was previously only available alongside The Castlevania Collection or Mirror of Fate HD, but it’s now on general release.

I played it back at gamescom and I’m onboard; it’s slick, fast-paced, tough and very nice to look at it. The tutorial doesn’t treat you like a baby either, as you quite quickly start fighting a colossal titan outside Dracula’s castle.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/12/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-demo-out-now-on-pc-ps3-xbox-360/feed/3Watch Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2’s Void Sword chop thingshttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/06/watch-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2s-void-sword-chop-things/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/06/watch-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2s-void-sword-chop-things/#commentsThu, 06 Feb 2014 14:04:47 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=446383With just a few weeks left until Lords of Shadow 2 arrives in stores, Konami is ramping up the marketing, down to making trailers for individual weapons like the Void Sword, which I keep pronouncing wrong in my head.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/06/watch-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2s-void-sword-chop-things/feed/1Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 takes a stab at sympathy for the devilhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/02/06/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-takes-a-stab-at-sympathy-for-the-devil/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/06/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-takes-a-stab-at-sympathy-for-the-devil/#commentsThu, 06 Feb 2014 08:15:24 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=445319Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 has you playing Dracula – the bad guy. But can you really sympathise with the villain? We take our questions to producer Dave Cox.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

Coming to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in late February.

The second entry in a series positioned as a modern third-person action reboot of the classic Konami property.

Developer MercuryStream wants to move onto other projects after Lords of Shadow 2, so it’s expected to tie up the storyline.

Writing is hard. Writing for video games is harder. It’s no wonder so many video games stick to fairly simple stories, with characters defined in blocks of black and white. “Kill the evil terrorists.” “Save the puppies.”

Although it’s not the first game to try it, Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 casts you as a villain, in an attempt to investigate how a person goes from everyday joe to genocidal killing machine. MercuryStream is sketching in shades of grey. I asked producer Dave Cox why players are stepping into the bad guy’s shoes this time.

“Well, is he a bad guy? That’s the question we’re asking the players to find out, really,” he replied.

“I think the story of Gabriel-Dracula is a story worth telling. We wanted to show the descent of the character and how he became Dracula. We’re trying to ask some important questions about what makes people evil, what makes them do what they do.

“Oftentimes, evil people are portrayed in a kid of black and white fashion. I don’t think evil people think they’re doing evil things. I think sometimes they think they’re doing the right thing. It’s others’ perception of them.

“We wanted to move away from the Bela Lugosi-type character that he was in the previous games. We wanted to tell a believable story about vampires, about evil, and about a man’s descent into evil.

“On the surface, you can play the game and go, yeah, this is an evil guy, but I think there are some important moral questions that we ask of the player.”

“But he’s conflicted. There are many forces at work in the game trying to redeem Dracula, trying to make him leave the castle and move on. But there’s a conflict within himself that he needs to resolve,” Cox said.

“That conflict is ‘Do I want to be redeemed? Do I want to find peace? Do I want to save the world again? Or am I quite happy to rule the world? Am I quite happy to be the only kid in town because I want to use these people as my food?’ That’s the kind of question the player will be mulling over.”

The ambiguity extends to the whole cast – neither the player nor Dracula can be sure who is friend, and who is foe.

Apart from the actively eating people, nothing Cox told me, or that I’ve seen in trailers for the game, has looked that dramatically evil to me – or that different from what any nominally “good” video game character does in their traipse through 15 action-packed levels of terrorist/nazi/rival conglomerate-killin’ fun. How is Dracula, in his quest to save the world from Satan by clambering around levels, solving puzzles, and fighting also-bad guys, that different from, say, Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, a “good” guy who also spends a lot of time ruthlessly killing hordes of enemies for the greater good?

“I think Dracula in our game is a much more nuanced character. You see Dracula show love, you see Dracula show remorse, you see Dracula show anger. Looking for vengeance. You see Dracula commit violence against other people, but you also see him treat people with care and love.”

Is it just me, or does that sound exactly like Nathan Drake, who thanks to Naughty Dog’s cinematic leanings and emphasis on performance runs the emotional gamut in every cut-scene, right before hauling off to despatch another dozen or so varyingly powerful enemies (sometimes vengefully) in carefully designed combat arenas? Dracula may be a new kind of vampire, but he doesn’t necessarily sound like a new kind of game hero.

No Sparkles

“I don’t think he does anything that we haven’t seen in vampire movies or read in vampire books. We haven’t deliberately set out to be controversial,” Cox said, perhaps thinking of criticism levelled during recent previews.

“But at the same time we wanted to portray Dracula as a realistic, gritty, nasty vampire. We wanted to go back to the vampires of old, not the True Bloods or the Twilights. We wanted to go back to something that’s more like Near Dark. There’s a bit more of an edgy feel to this vampire.”

“I don’t know if Dracula is a hero,” Cox insisted. “Perhaps he started off with heroic intentions. I’ve not played many Uncharted games, but Nathan Drake always struck me as an Indiana Jones kind of character.

“We use the Tony Soprano analogy. Tony Soprano is a murderer, a killer, and does horrible horrible things, but you watch The Sopranos and you find yourself rooting for this character. It’s quite a hard thing to do. That’s something we tried to achieve with this character. We wanted players to be repelled at times, but also to think, ‘I like this character. This is a character that I want to spend some time with’. You will be spending a good 20 hours with this character, so it was important that we didn’t portray him in a way that would alienate players.

“For me, he is an interesting character because he could be the good guy; he could be the bad guy. It’s not something I want to reveal in an interview. It’s a question we ask often during the game.”

Dracula’s story is one that Cox and his team apparently feel requires 20 hours to tell; it’s not something that can be summed up in our brief chat, especially if we want to avoid giving spoilers. Cox refused to tell me why it is Dracula struggles with the question of redemption, why the story of Dracula taking down Satan is more complicated than a simple antagonist-versus-protagonist tale.

“I think Dracula knows what he wants to do. It’s up to the player to find out,” Cox said.

“Dracula knows what he wants to do. It’s up to the player to find out.”

I said before that writing is hard. Writing bad guys is especially hard. Your hero needs something to fight against, and if your hero is right, that thing has to be wrong. Coming up with a justification for a villain, making the bad guy too sympathetic, can make the protagonist’s own actions look dodgy. That’s why so many villains, in all kinds of media, are ridiculous, doing bad things for the sake of it; doing bad things so that the viewer knows the villain is bad, rather due to any particular motivation.

In Lords of Shadow 2, MercuryStream has the unenviable task of juggling both sides of the hero and villain dichotomy at once. It’s kind of a vicious cycle. Dracula is a bad guy – he has to do bad things. Because bad things are bad, the player needs to sympathise and understand why he does them. Then again, they really do have to be bad – they have to make us uncomfortable, to show that Dracula is a bad guy.

Continuing our artistry analogy from above, this is the sort of work that requires very fine, subtle instruments – nicely honed graphite, a delicate touch. Unfortunately, most of the tools of the trade of video games are more crayons, or perhaps sledgehammers. I will be very interested to play Lords of Shadow 2 in full and see if the team pulls it off, but whether it succeed or not, the latest Castlevania deserves applause for making the attempt.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 arrives on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 at the end of February.